One Day 01-05/09
by Pamela Eaton
Summary: Something that happened One Day effects a wedding in Roswell. (Future Fic)


Title: One Day 

Author: Pamela Eaton 

Email Address: peaton@mail.orion.org 

Rating: R. Some sexual hints, nothing graphic. An occasional swear word. 

Summary: Days. Sometimes One Day can change your life forever. Years after that day occurs, it could still be a focal point of your life. A wedding in Roswell between Max Evans and Liz Parker drags up the memory of a day years before that greatly effects some of those involved. 

Type: Romantic Angst with a dash of fluff and a side-order of comedy. Also a little suspence and tension thrown in. 

Spoilers: Through I'd say at least Blind Date, though this should be considered a alternate-universe type fic, as it takes places years in the future. It was started before Toy House ever aired, until until Independance Day I could fake it so it would sound like all those episodes shown were valid. 

Disclaimer: You know 'em, I don't own 'em. By now you know the drill. No profit. No copyright infringment intended. This is for the pure pleasure of it. Also, there are poems used in this fic. They're all by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Copied from The Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson - Complete and Unabridged copyright 1909. The poems used are as follows: Life of the Life, To A. H. H. (Originally No. CVIII), and In Memoriam. Also the lyrics from Bruce Dickinson's "Tears of the Dragon" are quoted. 

Couples: Max/Liz. Michael/Maria. Alex/Isabel. Michael/Liz. Kyle/Liz mentioned. 

Author's Notes: Character thoughts are between "\\ \\"s and words with emphasis are between "- -"s. This story will switch between POVs. Max, Michael, Maria, Liz, Isabel, Alex, Kyle... they all get a shot. Liz and Michael are the POV focus though. 

The characters are 18-19 years old. It's a year after graduation. It's in the summer. They're all back in Roswell, even if they went off to college. Some of the story will take place in a flashback. Also, my portrayal of some of the characters is different in some ways then they are in the series for many reasons. The main one is that this fic takes place in the future. Over time, people change. And I like Kyle, so deal with it. 

And even though I follow the series storyline, I use some of the Book series description of the alien's powers. Dreamwalking, aura-viewing, feelings, ect. The powers are just a lot easier to put into words from the books. 

And guys, the only wedding I've ever been to was my Aunt's Catholic wedding and my mom's 10 minute wedding to my step-dad. Neither were really what I think Max and Liz would have, so I don't have much life experience to draw on -- Unless you count watching soap operas -- so I don't go into a lot of detail on the actual wedding itself. Use your imagination. Picture a blissfully happy wedding ceremony with no objections and romantic vows. Your imagination would probably be a billion times better then anything I could write. 

Chapter One 

Life of the Life within my blood, Light of the Light within mine eyes, The May begins to breathe and bud, And softly blow the balmy skies, Bathe with me in the fiery flood, And mingle kisses, tears and sighs, Life of the Life within my blood, Light of the Light within mine eyes. 

Looking in the mirror, Michael Guerin tried for the hundredth time to straighten his bow-tie. "Should have gotten a clip on..." he muttered to his reflection. \\I look like a complete idiot. Why couldn't I just wear a silk shirt, slacks and a jacket or something?\\ He gave a small sigh and worked at makeing his hair look in a semblance of order as he answered, again to his reflection, "Because you're the Best Man, that's why." 

He would never forgive Max for doing this to him. A tux, the rings, a speech at the reception... and he didn't even get to plan a Bachelor Party. \\Prude.\\ He took one last look at himself. \\Damn penguin suit.\\ 

The door opened to admit Alex Whitman, one of the other men standing up with Evans. "Hey, Alex." The human pulled off the tux thing a lot better then Michael did. Even at Senior Prom a year ago he'd pulled off the tux thing. Maria had barely gotten Michael to wear a suit. 

"Hey, Michael." The nineteen year old checked his hair in the mirror, "Big day, huh? You nervous?" His usually orange aura was laced with pale yellow and red veins. 

"Nah. Why would I be nervous? It's not my wedding." \\Thank God.\\ Honestly though, he was a little.. aprehensive. But he would never admit it. Max on the other hand was nervous enough for everyone. Michael could feel it radiating off him from two rooms away. \\He's probably pacing a hole in the floor, too...\\ 

One of the perks of being part of an alien trio. They could feel each other's emotions almost as clearly as their own. Most the time at least. Max barely ever threw up walls. Isabel was getting a lot better at it lately. Michael on the other hand, was the King of Emotional Walls. He had his up today, for a reason he'd rather not think about. 

"Can't believe they're finally getting married. I mean they've practically been engaged since eleventh grade." 

Michael didn't say anything in response. He was trying hard not to think. If he thought... well that would just ruin the whole day for him. 

"You got the rings?" 

"Rings?" 

Side effect of turning one's brain off for the day: things fly right over one rather easily. 

"You know, the wedding rings? You're supposed to have them?" 

"Oh, yes, of course." He patted the pocket of his jacket lightly. "Got 'em." 

"So..." Alex finished with slicking his hair back just right, "When are we going to have one of these for you and Maria?" 

Sigh. He just -knew- someone was going to ask that. "Whitman, if -- and I do mean -if- -- Maria and I get married, ever, the world will end. And I don't mean as in 'the world as we know it' or 'never happen til the world's ending', I mean as in it is a sign of Judgement Day." And besides, he just wasn't the marrying kind. Maria knew that. Everyone knew that. Max and Alex, sure. They were the marrying kind. But Michael Guerin? Nu-uh. He decided to get back at him for bringing it up, "What about you and Izz?" 

The human boy gave a slight cough and found himself fixing his bow-tie again, "Um.. me and 'Bel....Isabel? We're just... friends." Even his aura was blushing. 

Michael smiled at his well got revenge. "Oh yeah, just friends." He glanced at himself one last time, then looked over Alex, "Come on, Whitman. Let's go make complete fools out of ourselves." 

"But for the greater good." Alex made note of. 

Speaking of greater good, the first person they saw when they stepped out was the Maid of Honor, Maria DeLuca. Her dress was rather decent looking. A Royal Lavender. Extremely deep in color. He would bet half his life's savings that Isabel had been the one to pick out the color scheme. The minute she saw him she gave a loud sigh and reached up to touch at his hair. 

"Hey, hands off," he attempted to fend off his girlfriend's fingers before they messed up his attempt at order. 

"Couldn't you at least slick it back this one time?" the blond said in the same tone she always used when discussing his hair. He didn't understand what she disliked so much about his hair. He liked it just the way it was. "Max and Liz can only get married once, ya know? So just let me fix it today, okay?" 

He was not in the mood for this at all, so after the last arguement he just lowered his hands and let her do her worst. He would just put it all right after the wedding. 

"There. Perfect." She took a step back to look at her handy work, then nodded to herself, "You look wonderful. Now I gotta run. Lizzy's hair still needs to be put up." With a quick kiss and a farewell on both sides, the human girl vanished out of sight again. 

Michael scanned the area and took note of the fact that Alex had abandoned him, but that wasn't all there was to see. Standing off to the side -- staying out of everyone's way -- was someone Michael seriously doubted had an invitation. Kyle Valenti. Now what was he doing there? \\Probably here to make trouble,\\ he decided. \\Not on my watch.\\ 

A few moments later, Michael stood in front of him. "Good afternoon, Kyle." 

The shorter young man actually stiffened slightly then inclined his chin, "Good afternoon, Guerin." 

"Nice day isn't it?" 

"Could be better." 

Michael decided he'd had enough with the pleasentries. "You got an invitation?" 

Sticking a free hand in his jacket, he pulled out an invitation, "Actually I do." 

Without asking, Michael grabbed the envelope and looked at the invitation inside. Sure enough, it looked like all the ones that had been sent out. Addressed to Kyle Valenti. Now what were Liz and Max thinking? \\Well obviously they weren't thinking at all.\\ He handed back the invitation without an apology, "So what do you plan to do here, Valenti?" 

"Oh, I don't know... I was thinking I would watch a wedding. Maybe have a little cake, and some dancing possibly?" 

"I see someone is running for Smart Ass of the Month." 

"Worried about the competition, Guerin?" 

He'd had enough of this. "Just don't do anything that'll ruin the day for Max and Liz. You do, and I may just have to kill you. Sheriff's son or not." Turning away from Valenti without another word, Michael walked towards where Max was getting ready. \\No more thoughts. No more feelings. Just make it through this wedding and everything will be as it should.\\ 

~ * ~ 

Max Evans was a nervous wreck. He wasn't having doubts or anything of that kind, but he just couldn't believe this was all happening. All those years of trying to stay away from Liz... All those times he thought just being what he was would get them both killed... Everything boiled down to one day, and that day was finally here. Everything they'd gone through together was worth it, because in less than an hour they would be husband and wife. 

Just the thought of those two words in the same sentence about him and Liz made him feel light headed. \\Was this really happening?\\ Of course it was. It was too scary to be his imagination. Wonderfully scary, but scary anyway. So much could go wrong. Oh, but on the other hand, so much could go right. 

He wasn't the only one nervous. From where he stood, next to Michael, he could see the crowd. Liz's family and guests on one side. His on the other. Aura reading, while not an exact science, did give basic hints on general mood. The pulsing yellow veins running through his mother's aura showed that she was near hysterical. She'd been like that a year ago when Max and Isabel both went off to college. 

Liz's mother looked surprisingly similar in that mood, holding onto her husband's arm tightly. They'd always liked him, once Liz got around to telling them about him. Beyond the brief meeting in the hospital when Liz's grandmother was dying. Of course they didn't know about the alien part, but then his own parents didn't know that either. Liz, Maria and Alex were the only ones who knew the whole truth. Not true. Eddie and River Dog. They knew, to a point. Topulski and Valenti both had suspicions. Even Max's former boss at the UFO Center jumped on the suspecting bandwagon. And then there was Kyle, and Josh, the boy that Maria dated on and off junior and senior year, who had more then a few close calls. But in the end, those three teenage humans, part of their strongly linked group of six, were the only ones in the room who knew the whole thing. 

Speaking of their group of six, Max wasn't the only one who was on the nervous side. Alex was fidgeting, the same yellow veins in his aura, laced together with deep red ones. Only major difference was his weren't pulsing. Isabel's usually deep purple aura was moving towards a deep magenta in color. What that meant, he wasn't too sure of. Isabel had always been a little on the jealous side where Liz was concerned. And now he'd be vowing to spend the rest of his life with her. She was screening her emotions, so they were just a slight buzz in the back of his mind, but she was leaning towards jealous. 

A glance at Michael proved to be something he'd rather not have seen. Now he had no idea what was wrong with Michael. His walls were up. Meaning Max couldn't even feel if he was nervous or not. That, and his aura. He'd never seen his aura like that. It was... pale. Almost washed out. Red was always Michael's color... so why was he leaning towards pink today? Alright, pink might not be the best description. Because pink had a lot more color. This was more a light gray, with some small traces of red. 

Since he had his walls up, there was only one thing Max could do. The obvious thing. Ask. "You alright, Michael?" 

As if surprised to hear a voice, Michael glanced over, gave one of his characteristic half-smirks and answered, "Yeah." 

On any other day, Max wouldn't have let him get off with that simple response. He would have sat down and got what was really wrong out of him. Did Maria and him have -another- fight? Did he get fired from another job? Did he forget to pay rent? Whatever was wrong. But alas, it wasn't any other day. And Michael's problem was sadly, not on his list of top priorities. Getting married kind of topped that list. So the "Yeah" was taken as an answer. 

~ * ~ 

\\I'm married.\\ 

The words sounded so... foreign. Like something she never actually thought she'd ever think. Which was ridiculous. Every girl dreams of her wedding day. Elizabeth Parker was no different. Of course when she was seven and dreaming up her wedding, she never imagined tagging on the fact that her husband would be from another planet to that list. 

She wasn't even Liz Parker any more. She was Liz Evans. She'd thought long and hard about keeping her maiden name, or getting a hyphenated one. In the end she just settled with the old fashioned system of taking his name. If she'd waited til she was out of college like her mother was insisting for the longest time, she probably would have gone with the hyphenated, but as it was, she hadn't started her career yet, so her name didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. 

\\Oh, stop thinking, Liz. It's your wedding reception. You're supposed to have fun, not analyze your new last name.\\ 

Pulling her mind back into the present, Liz looked around the reception hall. It was all set up for a big dinner. Liz was seated next to her husband -- she still loved thinking of that word connected to Max -- and his and her immediate family. And Michael, Maria and Alex of course, who were practically family. Max was standing on the other side of the table talking to Michael softly. 

Liz smiled as she realized what the soft argument was about. Michael didn't want to stand up and make the toast. She'd heard he'd had a small fit when Max refused to have a Bachelor Party. Maria had been very willing to share the information of that incident. The soft argument went on for a few more moments, then it ended abruptly. A few minutes later her extraterrestrial spouse was sitting next to her again. 

"So did you bribe him into it?" Liz asked with a smile. She resisted the urge to tag a 'husband' on the end of that. 

Max glanced over and grinned, "Oh, I just finally said I would ask Kyle to make the toast if he wouldn't." 

\\Oh. That's low. No wonder it ended abruptly like that.\\ But in response all she did was smile and nod. Why Max had insisted on inviting Kyle was beyond her. If it had been anyone else but Max, she would have thought he wanted to gloat. But Max wasn't like that. He wouldn't have invited Kyle just to rub his nose in the fact that he'd won in the end. That wasn't like Max at all. And anyway, she probably would have invited him herself. 

Michael was standing up, running a hand over his slicked back hair. \\How'd Maria talk him into that? Looks like everyone's conning him into something today. He's even wearing a tux.\\ Liz noticed for the first time. And he looked... really good. \\No, bad thought, Liz. Stay away from that topic.\\ 

He cleared his throat, then seemed to remember something and grabbed up a fork and tapped it against his glass lightly. While all those who were under-age were supposed to have cider in their wine glasses, Liz wouldn't doubt if there was something else in Michael's. Something meaning Tabasco sauce. 

Everyone turned their attention on the alien. He cleared his throat again. He actually looked nervous. It made him look a little.. vulnerable. His eyes were softer then usual... 

\\You're supposed to stay away from the subject, hon.\\ she reminded her mental self. It needed reminding sometimes. 

When he started speaking, Michael's voice was like it always was, not betraying anything he might be feeling. "The Best Man is supposed to propose a toast. And right about now I'm kicking Max under the table for making me do this." He motioned towards Liz's husband as he said that, and Liz's eyes followed the motion. Her eyes locked with Max's for a small moment and they shared a smile. She was lost in the smile for a moment and almost didn't hear Michael continue. 

"And Alex, when you and Izzy finally admit your dating," there was a snicker from more then a few people at that. Liz couldn't help but be one, and she was sure Maria was the one who outright laughed. 

Michael waited for the sounds to calm down before continuing again, "...and decide to tie the knot, make Max your Best Man, cause I am -not- doing this again." More laughter and snickers. 

Alex and Isabel didn't seem to find it too funny though. Of course Alex looked more flustered then anything else. If looks could freeze, Michael would be an icicle from the look Isabel was giving him. 

He didn't seem to notice. Michael was looking towards Max and Liz as he continued. Was it her imagination or was he looking more at her...? "Anyway... Um... Let's see... I didn't really have one prepared, because I was hoping I could bail." 

Alright. Something wasn't right with that. Michael was rambling. \\Well, Liz, of course he's rambling... I mean...\\ but the logical, practical side of her brain, the dominate one, cut off the thought where it was. Not that it could have continued very far, because again, Michael was speaking. 

"I'll go with the natural one first. To Max and Liz. Cause everyone here knows that they're living proof that there is such a thing as a match made in heaven." 

Liz was smiling at that. Michael the Semi-Eloquent. She never thought she'd see the day where he'd actually show that side of himself in public. She'd been surprised the first time she saw it, even if Maria had insisted for a year before that it was there. 

There was a round of "To Max and Liz"s around the room, and a bunch of agreements with the rest of the toast, more then a few drinks from the guests, then Michael was continuing. "And how about a toast to days." 

Liz felt her smile falter. 

"We can only have them one at a time," Michael was continuing, looking right at her as he spoke. "We can't take them back, and we can't relive them, no matter how hard we'd wish to. So we should enjoy them while they're still happening. And look back on them with fond memories when they're over. And I'm sure, for two very special people in this room, today... was a -great- day, and that they will have many more, that will leave many fond memories for an eternity to come." 

There was some responses to that. Voices were repeating the bulk of the toast, but for the most part they fell on deaf ears as far as Liz was concerned. 

\\Why did he have to make -that- the toast?\\ It drew out a memory in her mind she'd rather not entertain. A few sentences that spoke of similar things. One day. Memories. Eternity. Max's touch -- his hand on hers -- pulled her thankfully back to the present. Liz's smile returned as she looked at him. He was glowing with happiness, in a non-literal sense. 

For a while after that everything was a happy, perfect, sugar coated blur. 

There was cake, and then of course the dancing. After a good ten songs of dancing with Max -- an interesting mix of waltz-like music and of course their favorite songs -- Max's mother claimed him for a dance. 

Liz stood there looking around for someone to cut in on. Her father and mother were on the other side of the floor dancing. Maria was dancing with Alex for some strange reason. Isabel was dancing with her and Max's father. She didn't see Michael anywhere... She saw a cousin of hers standing off to the side and started towards him, but was intercepted. By Kyle Valenti. 

"Would it be alright if I asked you to dance?" 

Honestly, Liz was going to say 'yes.' Kyle wasn't a bad guy. He had his problems, yes, but he also had positive traits. A dance wouldn't hurt. But someone answered for her. Someone meaning Michael. 

"I think I claimed this one already," he said from behind her. She almost jumped, but thankfully kept from doing so. 

She turned to face him. And smiled. He'd found a comb and something and spiked up one side of his hair. For some reason, Liz found that very funny. He returned the smile for a moment -- probably not knowing why she was smiling though -- then glared over her shoulder before leading her towards the dance floor. 

The first thing she said as they settled into the dance was, "You didn't have to do that, you know. I can handle Kyle." 

There was a sarcastic smirk. "I think Max would prefer if you not 'handle' Kyle." 

It took her a moment to realize something, "When'd you learn how to dance?" 

Liz'd never actually danced with him before. And all the dances she'd been to that he was at, she'd had other things on her mind then watching Michael dance. Did Maria ever mention he knew how to dance? She couldn't recall any conversations of that sort. 

He quirked his eyebrows slightly and pushed her into a slight twirl with the music. She went with it. When she was facing him again he answered, "I've known how to dance for a while. Who do you think Isabel practiced on when Max wasn't around?" 

"You mean 'BA?'" Liz found herself raising her eyebrows, hinting at what she meant by that. It was a inside joke their group minus Alex and Isabel had. It stood for "Before Alex." For almost the last three years, since Alex had found out about Isabel's un-earthling status, they'd been going through one of those sexual tension things. Never admitting aloud that anything was going on, but always finding some way to end up together. Alex was a little more obvious about it then she was. Always giving her puppy-dog eyes. He'd even admitted one night over a few Green Martian Slurpies at the Crashdown that they'd kissed after the Valentine's Day dance sophomore year. And Liz knew of a few times besides that as well. 

Michael grinned, moving a little closer as the song changed to a slower, modern song. "Yeah." 

"I hope she didn't practice anything else on you which were meant for her dates." 

"Oh. Thank you. I -really- needed that thought in my head." He said, voice heavy with sarcasm. "My life just wasn't complete without it." 

"Oh, you must have had the thought before. I mean, look at her. I'm amazed Max could sleep in the same house of her all those years and not..." 

Michael cut her off, "Liz, this is a small town, yes, but we're not -that- small." She'd meant it as a joke anyway. 

She just laughed for a moment, and he laughed with her. 

Then something happened. Something that changed the happy blur. Michael stopped. Stopped dancing. Stopped laughing. Then his hands left her waist where'd they'd been resting for the slow song, and then gently pushed her hands from his shoulders as he took a step back, muttering absently, "I have... to go." 

Liz just stood and watched as he turned and started off the dance floor. She started after him, but a hand on her arm stopped her. Max... She smiled at him, and muttered, "Hey. Have a good dance with your mom?" At the end of the question she glanced where Michael had left to, but he was already out of sight. Sigh. 

"Yeah, but I couldn't go another song without you in my arms." He answered, regaining Liz's attention from where it was wandering. 

Time went back to it's happy blur again. 

Chapter Two 

Young is the grief I entertain, And ever new the tale she tells, And ever young the face that dwells, With reason cloister'd in the brain. 

\\Oh, good going,\\ Michael Guerin yelled at himself mentally as he left the reception hall. \\Had to cut in. Had to save her from Kyle. Next time let someone else play 'Knight in Shining Tux'.\\ 

Maria spotted him on the way out and came up on his right side. \\Oh, this is just getting better and better.\\ "Hey, where you going?" 

Sigh. Curse. Stop. Glance. All in that order. Well, one more thing was added onto that list when he spoke; Avoid. "I'm just going out for some fresh air. I'll be back." Lie. Add that too. 

"Alright." She reached up and pushed down on the spikes he'd fixed back up after the wedding was over. Normally, he would have fended off her hands, but he just didn't have it in him right then. "I'm going to go see if I can get a dance with Josh." 

"You do that." Michael said as he continued to leave. Which just proved how out of it he really was. Normally just the mention of the 'J-word' would trigger his temper. That moment it didn't even register. 

She didn't follow him. One blessing he was glad to have. He made it all the way to his vehicle. A run-down red pick-up. He paid barely four hundred for it, and it showed. He didn't care if it looked like it belonged on a scrap heep. It got him where he needed to go. That is of course when it actually worked. 

His powers were just enough nowadays that he could keep it running if it started to break down until he could get it somewhere where he could work on it. 

Right then he wasn't really worried about getting it started. He needed to just sit for a few minutes. Just sit. Something most people couldn't do, but something he'd gained a lot of respect for. He could just sit and stare at a wall for hours and not get bored. It was a talent he guessed. One he'd honed from spending hours of the day alone. While Max and Isabel were at school, he'd have eight or so hours to waste. Most people who skipped school would sleep or party at least half of that time. Not him though. He couldn't sleep very late if he tried. And Max and Isabel were his only real friends back then. Hard to party by yourself. Even when he made nice with Liz and Maria and Alex, they didn't often skip school. Plus when they went off to college and he stayed in Roswell... Months and months of alone time. He usually wasted that alone time thinking. Sometimes drawing or painting, but thinking usually came with that. 

Right now he didn't want to think. He wanted to blank out his entire mind. That's why he wanted to 'Just sit'. Not thinking kept things very smooth. So to encourage non-thoughts, he reached forward and touched the radio. A surge of power and it clicked on. Isabel had showed him how to do that a year or so ago. The radio was set to a station that played a lot of 90s rock, very rarely playing new stuff. Commercials were on right then, so he leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes, repeating everything said over the radio in his head. Adding that to the fact that he had to mentally continue channeling energy into the radio to keep it on, it was the perfect way to keep from thinking. 

The commercials ended, and the radio's recorded announcement came on, saying the name of the station and their catchy phrase they had for the season. Then a song came on. He sang the words in his mind along with the singer, trying not to let the lyrics process, but they did anyway. 

For too long now There were secrets in my mind For too long now There were things I should have said In the darkness I was stumbling for the door To find a reason To find the time, the place, the hour 

Waiting for the winter sun And the cold light of day The misty ghost of childhood fears The pressure is building And I can't stay away 

I throw myself into the sea Release the wave Let it wash over me To face the fear I once believed The tears of the dragon For you and for me 

Where I was I had wings that couldn't fly Where I was I had tears I couldn't cry My emotions Frozen in an icy lake I couldn't feel them Until the ice began to break 

I have no power over this You know I'm afraid The walls I built are crumbling The water is moving I'm slipping away 

I throw myself into the sea Release the wave Let it wash over me To face the fear I once believed The tears of the dragon For you and for me 

Somewhere during the one and a half minutes of no singing, Michael stopped sending energy into the radio. He didn't consciously stop feeding the radio the energy to keep working, it just happened. There was still some of the song left, but not for him. That wasn't the only thing that switched off though. 

~ * ~ 

One more week. One more glorious week of no school. Then it would be back to school, and Michael Guerin could just pretend it was the summer and skip anyway. The big difference between summer and the school-months, was the eight hours of the day he'd have to burn while Max, Isabel, Liz, Maria and Alex were all doing the "good boys and girls" going to class thing. 

Michael first noticed something was wrong when he dropped by the Crashdown briefly to talk to Max and Isabel. He knew they would be there, they usually were at that time of day. The minute he walked through the door he felt a disturbance in the Force. Well, not really. More a shift in the general mood of one of the two he was emotionally attached to. In a literal sense. Namely, Max. Something'd happened. 

When said best friend appeared out of the back room and walked right past him and out the doors without even acknowledging his 'hello', Michael got the hint. He knew the answer to the question, but he found himself asking it away, "What's wrong with him?" 

He was speaking of course to Isabel, Max's sister, and the other alien whom Michael had an emotional link with. She was rather annoyed by what had happened. "He broke up with Liz again." 

Yup. He was right. But he played like it was a surprise. "Again?" 

"Yeah. Again." 

"Something is seriously wrong with that boy." 

"Hey, you're one to talk. You break up with Maria like every two weeks." 

"What me and Maria have is completely different from what him and Liz have." 

"Whatever." With that, Michael made a choice. He started to walk towards the back room that Max had just come from. Isabel's voice sounded out, "Where are you going?" 

He paused in his step and looked towards' Max's sister. "To talk to Liz. In case you haven't noticed, she tends to take these break-ups pretty hard, and Maria's out of town, and since you aren't volunteering your precious time, I thought I might give a shot at it." 

"Give a shot at what?" Isabel sounded as annoyed as she felt. 

"You know, what Maria probably does. Bring on the chocolate, I'll probably skip the make-up and dress up part and go right to the "Max is an idiot" recital, then remind her that he'll come around. The usual." 

Isabel just rolled her eyes, "Whatever." 

With that said, he moved on towards the backroom, only to find her gone. Jose was back there stocking some food, and he asked where'd Liz go to, "Oh, she went up to her room. She wasn't feeling well." 

"I don't doubt that. Thanks." 

He went the back way up to the Parker's place above the Crashdown. He could have gone up to the roof by the ladder and knocked on Liz's window, but he figured the front door approach would work best. An approach he rarely used. 

Two knocks on the door and Liz's mother opened it. "Mrs. Parker? Is Liz here?" 

She didn't answer the question, instead supplied one of her own. "Michael, right?" Hmm? She knew his name? Odd. He hadn't remembered ever carrying on a conversation with her before. 

"Yeah. Michael Guerin." 

"Maria's boyfriend?" 

He corrected her instantly, "Maria's "on and off" boyfriend. Currently -very- off." 

She smiled at that for a brief moment, then finally answered his question, "Liz is here, but she's in her room. Not feeling well." 

"I know. That's what I need to talk to her about. If I may?" Michael motioned towards the inside. 

Liz's mother stepped back, making room for him to come on in, which he did, "Be my guest. Lord knows she won't talk to me about it." 

"Thanks, Mrs. P." He started into the place, then realized one small thing he'd forgotten about. He knew where Liz's room was from the roof, but not from the front door. The two times he'd been in there he wasn't in the best position to judge the location. First time was when he stole her journal. It was dark, and he didn't stick around very long once he had it. The other was when he'd lost his Balance. He turned around and asked the older woman before she went back to cleaning house or whatever she was doing. She pointed in the direction and gave small instructions. He had it and went on towards the door. 

The door was closed, and he raised a hand and tapped his knuckles against the wood. KnockKnock. 

"Go away, Mom." Liz's voice came from the inside. No sound of tears in her voice. Good sign. But he didn't go away. He just opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind him as she continued, having heard him enter, "I told you to go away..." 

"No," Michael said, seeing her over near the window writing in her journal. She turned at the sound of his voice, surprised and he continued, "you told your mom to go away, not me." 

"Michael? What...?" She closed her journal and managed to look mad for a brief second. Her face was all crumpled, like she was near tears but fighting them away. He hated seeing her face like that. So the brief anger was much better a sight. Plus her aura showed that she was near tears, lined with signs of loss and grief. And the anger was there too. "Go away, Michael." 

His only response to that came after leaning back heavily against the door. It was, "I don't think so." 

She gave a heavy sigh and stood up from where she was seated, putting her journal and her pen down. "If Max sent you to talk to me, tell him I heard enough. If..." 

He cut her off there, "If Max had asked me to come talk to you, I wouldn't be here." It was true. He didn't do things asked of him usually, unless he got something out of it. She looked a little confused, so he explained further, "I'm not here because anyone made me. I'm here because I figured you might need someone to talk to, and with Maria in another State, I thought I would offer my services." 

Boy, Liz couldn't have looked more bewildered if she practiced in the mirror. She looked like he'd just said 'Ate dollar cat purple widely'-gibberish. Sure, they'd never really had a real conversation alone before, except for when he returned her journal to her that one time, so it was something strange, even for him, but the way she was looking at him... it made him uncomfortable. Michael stepped away from the door and started over to her desk, which was less then a few feet away. He needed to do something to break the silence in the air. Something besides trying to explain his intentions again. First attempt at explaining hadn't gone so well. Second would likely have just as much luck. Or non-luck to be more accurate. 

Sitting on her desk was a little music box. The lid had an inlaid rose in marble. He reached over, touched the lid briefly, then lifted it. The soft tones of the song filled the air. After just two notes he noticed something. It was off tune. One of the screws must have been loose. A small surge in power and he fixed the mistake, the next part of the song sounding perfect. A few years ago he would have never been able to do that without blowing up the poor music box. But he'd gotten better. 

He was so engrossed in fixing the sound from the music box he didn't even notice the effect it had on Liz until he heard it. It started out soft sobs. She'd moved over to sit down on the bed sometime when his attention had been elsewhere, and she was trying to hide the fact that she was about to break down. 

\\Oh. Good going, Michael. Max probably gave her the fucking music box. So much for making her feel better.\\ He reached back over to close the lid again. When he did and the music cut off, Liz spoke softly, "No. Let it play, Michael..." At the request he lifted the lid again, and the soft notes filled the room once more. 

And she started to cry. Full sobs with tears. Michael had no idea what to do. If it had been Isabel he would have wrapped his arms around her and smoothed her hair, like the brother-type person that he was to her. But this was Liz. Perfect, strong, intelligent, dependable Liz. Seeing her breaking down was just... not something Michael was completely equipped to handle. What else had he expected when he came up here? Tears were an unfortunate side-effect of being dumped. He'd watched Maria shed them many a time after one of his break-up conversations. 

After an entire round of the music box song, when it started itself again, Michael finally decided to just go ahead and get it over with. Liz needed someone. He was the only one there. He crossed over to where her bed was and sat down beside her. The minute her touched her arm lightly he felt a sting. A sting meaning her emotions. She was sending them out. He could only pick up the exterior emotions, and he could see those in her aura anyway, but feeling them with her was a completely different experience. It was like the connection he shared with Max and Isabel, except completely new and unfamiliar. 

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She didn't seem to mind and started crying on his chest. He buried his face in her hair and let her emotions wash over him while her tears mingled into the fabric of his shirt. \\Damn you, Max Evans. You may be my best friend, but I might just have to kill you for doing this to her.\\ 

~ * ~ 

It took about thirty minutes for the wedding reception to get really boring. An hour to make him comptemplate suicide. Every time he tried to dance with someone, someone else would jump in and interrupt him. Kyle Valenti was really starting to wish he hadn't accepted the invitation, or that he'd at least brought a date. First Whitman "rescued" Isabel when he tried to ask her, then Maria just outright refused to dance with him. And lastly, that Guerin punk cut-in and danced with Liz instead. When he finally did get a dance, it was with Mrs. Parker, who wasn't exactly his dream dancing partner. 

So with more dancing and a few other things still sketched up on the reception, Kyle cut out. He'd had enough of this. No reason to stick around. Liz wasn't even taking her eyes of Evans, much less her hands. So that's how he was in the parking lot less then ten minutes after his attempt to ask Liz to dance. Just in time to see the damnedest thing. 

Honestly speaking, he'd never seen anything like it before. Movies don't really count. He was walking towards his car when he saw this flash of light. At first he thought it might be lightning, but as soon as he glanced in the direction it came from... well he learned differently. 

The flash of light wasn't really a flash. It was only a flash when it flickered on. It was an unwavering, un-twickling, bright white light. Radiant and pure. He almost didn't know why he was surprised when he saw the source of the blaze. 

The cab of a beat-up red truck, that looked like it might fall apart at any moment. The light was coming from inside. More then that. He knew who's truck it was... 

He had to work quickly. First thing's first though. Kyle went up to the car, trying to look through the window. All he could see was light. So he opened the door. More light poured out. He could make out a form. It was brighter then the rest. The form of a person. He took off his jacket. He needed to cover to source of the light. Putting his jacket over the figure's head, while pushing it cut off most the light, but not all of it. He surveyed the truck and found a blanket behind the seat. A thick wool blanket, with dust on it in more then a few places. He didn't need a clean blanket. He needed a thick one. That one was perfect. He threw it over the figure, covering the rest of the glowing source up. Only a few small rays of light peeked out from holes in the fabric. With that taken care of he went to his car. 

He took the time to light a cigarette before he picked up his car phone and dialed the familiar number. His father's car phone. He took a deep breath and prepared himself. This wasn't something he had to do every day. 

"Valenti." his father's voice answered. 

"Hey, Dad. Look..." He paused and steadied himself. He could do this. People did it every day. "When were you going to be back?" 

"Not til, Monday." 

"Good. I was just checking." His father started to say goodbye, but he cut in. One last thing he had to do before he could continue. "If you do decide to come back early, could you call me ahead of time?" 

"Planning to have a girl over at the house for a few days?" His father had a suggestive tone in his voice. 

"Yeah," Kyle responded, going with it. 

"Just make sure she's not underage." 

"Oh..." Kyle glanced towards the red truck, "No problem there. Bye." 

"Bye." Click. 

Kyle stayed in the car until he finished his cigarette. As soon as he was finished with it, he was heading towards Guerin's truck again. Whatever had happened to him, he didn't know, and part of him didn't care. The other part of him though... The other part was thinking of Liz. What would -she- want him to do in this situation? And that's exactly what he found himself doing. 

He pushed Michael's covered form aside into the passenger side, keeping it covered as much as he could, found the keys, then started the truck. Or more accurately, tried to start the truck. \\Damn it. Well so much for that plan. Why couldn't Guerin buy a car that -worked-?\\ 

Plan B. He got out of the truck again and headed back into the reception hall. Just in time too. The throwing of the garter and the bouquet. His timing couldn't have been more perfect if he had used a watch. He stepped right into the crowd of single men trying to catch the garter, and it just landed into his hands. He hadn't even been trying to catch it. He was heading towards the first of the "Max Gang" that he saw. Alex. Who was in the crowd he just stumbled into. 

When it hit his hand, he grabbed onto it reflexively. Came with playing every sport that wasn't sissy that they played at West Roswell. He didn't even realize what he grabbed until people started clapping for him. He looked down, and sure enough. He'd caught the garter. Interesting. The few people who were there that liked him were patting him on the back, commenting on his good catch. He just smiled and tried to keep moving. He was on a mission, here. His ego could get stroked later... 

Ok. A little ego stroking never killed anybody. "Yeah, it was wasn't it?" he said to the next person to comment. Alright. That was just enough. Time to pull one of the Max Gang aside. 

But the bouquet postponed him another few minutes. Isabel caught it. Maria almost pinged her in the stomach trying to get it, but in the end the taller blonde had succeeded in claiming the white roses as her own. Cheers went up all around this time. Almost everyone liked Isabel. 

The next few minutes were very long as Kyle made attempts to draw the attention of one of the five he needed to speak with. All these years of hating him, and the one time they needed to listen to him they continued to turn a deaf ear. He was starting to give up. It wasn't like he even liked the Guerin kid. He was a punk. A law-breaker. He even beat Kyle around a few times. Why should he go through all this trouble to possibly help someone who'd just caused him trouble? Believe it or not, the answer was simple. He just hoped it was the right one. 

Finally he was able to pull one of them aside while everyone was seeing Max and Liz out to their car. Maria. He hadn't meant to grab her as hard as he did, he was just getting desperate for someone to listen to him. He was doing a good deed, damnit. He should at least get recognized for it. She squirmed under his grip on her arm and yelled out, "Get your hands off me, Kyle! Are you insane?" 

"No, and be -quiet-, this is important." 

"Oh, I'm -so- sure it is. You just wanna crash Liz and Max's honeymoon, huh? Well, boy-o, listen up, cause it ain't gonna happen. No way, no how." 

"Shit, Maria." Kyle was on his last nerve here. "If I wanted to crash their honeymoon I would not have grabbed you. Now pay attention. Your friend Michael is in deep. If you don't believe me or my motives, then fine. But why don't you go take a look in his truck. You might be surprised." With that said he let go of her arm and turned away. 

There. It was -their- problem. They could handle it. He would stay out of their business from then on. Or that's what he said to himself while he turned away from Maria. And ran right into Isabel. 

Shesh. Suddenly he found himself reminded of Shiva, the Ice Elemental on all those Final Fantasy games. Kyle wouldn't have all been surprised to see a little bar of gray appear over her head and read "Diamond Dust" and then see ice shoot out of her finger tips. Her voice was nearly enough to freeze by itself. "What -about- Michael?" 

On the plus side, at least they weren't ignoring him anymore. Alex was standing right behind Isabel, actually managing to look somewhat menacing. If you were the Easter Bunny. As it was, Alex just looked like... Alex. 

Kyle took a moment to find the right words, unsure how Isabel would react to the wrong ones. "First off, I have -nothing- to do with it. Second off, it's best if you see for yourself." How do you explain that someone is glowing? No... Not glowing... Pouring with light. It was like Michael had suddenly become a light bulb. That wasn't something Kyle really had experience explaining. Thank the Lord that the Parking Lot was in the back, and everyone seeing the bride and groom off were in the front. That made things very clean. 

Leading Isabel, Maria and Alex to Michael's pick-up was no problem. Maria looked like she was going to be sick, which he didn't really understand. Did they think he was threatening them or something? Sure, he had so many times before, of course they would think the same. Like the boy who cried wolf... But he wasn't crying wolf this time. 

Alex was the one who opened the door when they got to the car. He was the one who lifted up the blanket, then pushed it back down instantly as some blinding light escaped from under it. Isabel reacted rather surprisingly. "MICHAEL!" Maria really looked like she was going to pass out, so Kyle did what any man would do in his position. Well, any real man. He went over and touched her arm, offering her support. 

Isabel was reaching under the blanket, then suddenly pulled her hand back like she'd been burnt, crying out in pain. She collapsed in Alex's arms, sobbing heavily. 

This was so much more then Kyle had bargained for... Especially when Maria seemed to take Isabel's collapse in a really bad way and lost the use of her knees. He caught her as best he could, then sat her down on the pavement. She was still conscious, but he wouldn't doubt if she needed to sit down for a few minutes. Michael wasn't... dead was he? 

His question was answered when Isabel was able to regain her composure. Alex asked it aloud first. Kyle didn't really want to be the one to jump in with it. He was the outsider there. "Are you alright? Is -he- alright?" 

"I'm fine..." Isabel answered distantly. "As for ... him... He's alive. But..." She looked towards Kyle. The Shiva image was completely gone from his mind. She wasn't an ice queen. She was a scared, vulnerable girl, who was looking at him with the wide eyes of a child looking into the jaws of a lion. 

At that moment, Kyle wanted to take back every horrible thing he'd ever said to her, or to her brother or Guerin in front of her. He wanted to be anyone else but Kyle Valenti, Sheriff's son, and First Class Jerk where Max Evans was concerned. He couldn't take it back though, and he couldn't change who he was. All he could do was what he did. 

"Don't worry, Evans. My father doesn't know, and he won't if I have anything to say about it." 

Isabel stared at him, her eyes growing even wider, if that was possible. But the fear was becoming less. Taken over by a good dose of shock. That was when he decided another dose of shock would be just what the doctor ordered. Plus he had been waiting years to say this to them. Part of that male ego of his. He couldn't believe he'd sustained the urge not to brag for that long. 

"I know, Isabel." 

There were three sets of eyes, all staring at him. He barely held back the smile. He wished Max was there. He would have done anything to see -his- face when he said what he had to say. 

"I've known for a long time now. That you, Michael... and your brother are 'Not of this Earth.'" 

The outright shock on the three faces of those present was well worth the two year wait. 

Chapter Three 

Yet grief deserves a nobler name: She spurs an imitative will; 'Tis shame to fail so far, and still My failing shall be less my shame. 

\\He knew.\\ 

Kyle Valenti had known. Isabel Evans wasn't sure what had her reeling in shock more. The fact that he'd known, or the fact that they weren't all in government labs two minutes after he'd found out. Alex and Maria seemed to be having the same problem she was... Then a second later the problem was solved. She could worry about Kyle later. Michael... Michael was what mattered. 

She turned to glance at his covered form, laying awkwardly across the seat of the truck. Kyle's jacket was under the blanket, covering his head. Kyle had covered him. His legs were what was closest to the driver's door though. Rays of light peeked out holes in the covering. Michael was glowing. Pure white. What happened to him? And he was unconscious too. Maybe even asleep... 

Kyle's voice drew her eyes from the form, "Alright, sorry to break this moment of copping, but we have to get him out of here fast. People will be trying to get to their cars soon." 

He was right, Isabel knew that. She had to think fast. Wasn't like nothing like this had never happened before. In fact, covering their alien-ness was a lifelong battle. Hundreds of times over the years they had been forced to do things beyond the scope of normality. Undoubtedly they would have to do something again. In a few seconds she had a plan. "Alright, Maria, call Max's cell, tell him what's going on. Alex, we need to get Michael someplace safe... His apartment..." 

Maria cut her off, "He has a roommate, Izz. Some guy he works with." 

Okay... his place was out. How come she never knew he had a roommate? Was she that clueless where Michael was concerned lately? Everyone else still lived with their parents during the summer months when they were off school. Her house was out, unless she explained to her parents why Michael was wrapped in a blanket. While under other circumstances she would have jumped at the chance to tell them, what was happening wasn't one of those times when she wanted to. Especially since she didn't know what was wrong with Michael yet. Might be something that would effect all three of them eventually. Max and Liz's apartment was out too, cause it was in another state, near the college they were attending. Kyle interrupted her from further thinking on the subject. 

"We.. I mean.. you guys, can take him to my house. My dad won't be home for a few days." 

That was one option Isabel wasn't exactly prepared to process. It was like walking into a snake pit. The very thought of taking Michael in his current state there was... unthinkable. But it was the best option. Though... it could have been a setup. Kyle could be leading them into a trap. She didn't trust him very much... But there was one thing that pointed towards him being on their side. His aura. 

The normal color of it was blue, like Maria's, only while Maria's leaned towards lighter, happier shades of blue, Kyle's was electric. Like the blue of a flame. His aura right then was just an intensely bright electric blue. No sign of intention of harm. Worry signs laced around it in places. But no sign of deception. 

That single thing, and that alone, got her approval to move Michael to the Valenti house. "Alright, Alex, Maria, meet up with us at Kyle's. Tell Max and Liz to meet us there." Part of her wasn't at all upset at the thought that whatever was wrong with Michael would cause Liz and Max to postpone their honeymoon. The other part just hopped they could get a refund. 

Maria and Alex stood and split for their cars, and Isabel moved to get into the truck, pushing Michael aside carefully and gently as she could manage. "It won't start," Kyle said as she closed the door. "I was going to get him out of sight before I got you guys, but..." she cut him off by starting the truck. 

A surge of power could go a long way. She glanced at the astonished Sheriff's son. "You were saying?" 

He stepped back, raising his hands slightly while saying, "Nothing. Nothing at all." 

"That's what I thought you were saying." She put the truck in reverse and pulled out, heading towards the one place she never thought she would go to voluntarily. Valenti's House. 

Isabel beat Kyle there and scoped out the area to make sure it wasn't a trap. No sign of Valenti anywhere. His Sheriff truck was gone too. She made a mental note to ask where he was when Kyle got there. 

She was trying to unload Glow-Worm Michael when Kyle pulled up finally. He instantly moved to help her, then stopped, "I'd better open the door first. Unless you guys can walk through walls or something." 

She didn't respond to the power comment, instead just waited for when she could get Michael into a secure location. The Valenti House a secure locale? She never thought she would think that about the Sheriff's house. 

It took a few minutes to carry Michael in and put him on Kyle's bed. They kept him covered until they closed all the curtains. Then she took the blanket and coat off. Yes. Definitely Michael. The bright source of the light was in his shape. It was like looking at the wires inside of a lightblub, only as bright as a search light. 

"He isn't hot at all." Kyle commented thoughtfully, while shielding his eyes. "In fact, the light almost as the opposite effect..." 

"It's cold." Isabel finished for him. The light was evenly distributed. Not coming more from anywhere. His entire body glowed with the same intensity. She covered him up with a cleaner blanket. Her vision had purple splotches all over. 

"So..." Kyle said, shrugging his shoulders. "What's wrong with him?" 

Isabel sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching under the blanket to touch his shoulder. The cold sensation shot up her body, followed by the most intense dose of Michael emotions she'd ever felt. That was what sent her into the small breakdown earlier. It was like being slammed in the face with something intangible. It was so intense she almost felt like she was going to be sick. And she never got sick. 

She couldn't even focus on one single emotion. It was a full-blown myriad of every emotion anyone could possibly feel. All at the same time. Anger. Fear. Love. Hate. Joy. Sorrow. Everything. 

Drowning in the flood of Michael's emotions, Isabel didn't hear Kyle calling her name or crossing the room, or even his hand on her shoulder. He reached under the blanket and took her hand off Michael. That pulled her out of it. "Hey, I know it's weird, but he'll be okay." he said in an attempt to reassure her. 

"You don't know that." Isabel said softly, reaching to wipe tears she didn't even remember shedding out of her eyes. "I don't even know that for sure." 

"This hasn't happened before?" 

"That would be a 'no.'" she said with a sigh. 

The doorbell ringing saved them from a moment of awkward silence. It was Alex and Maria. Sure took them long enough. Why they took so long was instantly apparent. They'd changed. "We stopped by your place and Michael's and picked up some clothes." Maria said, stepping inside. Isabel knew they probably used the spare key hidden in the porch lamp to get in her house, but she didn't want to know how they got into Michael's apartment. He wasn't the type to keep a spare key within reach. 

"Thanks." she said as she took the clothes. Maria didn't pick the ones she would have, but they would do. 

"Is he okay?" Maria asked. 

"He's won the prize for Bright Boy." Isabel replied half-sarcastically. 

The shorter human girl sighed, "Well, it's better then sweaty cobwebs I guess." Then she threw out the piece of information that Isabel wanted to hear. "Max and Liz are on the way. Their honeymoon will be postponed." 

"Hah." Kyle laughed from where he was leaning against a nearby wall. "Looks like I didn't ruin the day for them after all. Guerin did." 

"Don't you -dare- say that," a new voice said from the door. It was Liz. Still in her wedding dress and looking like an angry princess, husband standing just behind her. "Whatever's happening to him is not intentional." Now why was Liz so quick to defend Michael? 

Kyle moved away from the wall, raising his hands in an innocent gesture, "Sorry, just that he confronted me before the wedding." The way he said 'confronted' hinted towards 'threatened.' 

"Oh." Liz said, managing to look sorry for a second, then getting inside fully. Max entered behind her, closing the door. They had a few bags that they had packed for their honeymoon. 

The four still in formal wear took turns changing in the Valenti bathroom, while Alex and Maria sat with Michael. Isabel went last. She used her powers to quickly alter her makeup to match the new outfit. 

When she got back into Kyle's room, Max had his hands under the blanket. His jaw was clenched shut, so tight that his cheekbones where nearing stark white. When he finally pulled his hands out, he looked like he was going to cry for a second. 

"Intense, isn't it?" Isabel moved to sit down next to her brother. 

"Yeah." Max ran a hand across his chin. "Well it isn't physical. That much I know." 

She could have told him that. "So what do you think it is?" 

"Emotional maybe? Or he could have just lost control..." 

Maria cut in, "Should we talk about this with -him- here?" She gestured a thumb towards the young Valenti. 

"He could have called his dad the minute he saw Michael. He didn't." Max said, looking at Kyle. "Or he could have just walked away and let someone else find him, instead of getting us." 

Kyle cut in, "Actually, I did call my dad." 

-That- shut everyone up. Isabel felt the breath catch in her throat. Oh. She should have never trusted that little man. 

"I called to make sure he wasn't coming back before Monday. And if he was, to give me a call." 

\\Oh... Somebody paint "stupid" across my forehead.\\ Again, his aura gave off no sign of deception. But she could swear he had enjoyed scaring the hell out of them. 

Max let out a small sigh beside her, then said, "Well, whatever is wrong with him, it didn't just happen suddenly." 

"He's been strange all day." Isabel finished for her brother. 

"Yeah," Maria added. "He let me slick back his hair like twice today, with very little argument. And he didn't even get mad when I said I was going to go dance with Josh." 

Josh Hill. Maria's human honey. Almost everytime in the last two years that Michael had done the old 'better off apart' speech, Maria would rebound to Josh. Fall-Back-Boy. She did like him, so she wasn't completely using him. But she liked Michael a whole lot more. Despite his Michael-ness. 

"Not just that... his aura was off." Isabel threw out. 

Kyle's eyebrows went up, "You guys can see auras? Like auras?" 

Max answered the question, "Yes." 

"How was Michael's off?" Liz asked. 

"Well... it was..." Max searched for the right words. 

Isabel saved her brother from the mission, "It was pink." 

"Pink?" Alex asked, a small smirk crossing his lips, like it did when he wanted to crack a joke but it wasn't appropriate so he held it back. 

"Well, bleached... Pale. Lacking much color. But there were traces of red." Max supplied, thoughtfully. 

"Red's always been Michael's color. But I've never seen it so light." she added. 

"What's my color?" Kyle asked. 

Isabel rolled her eyes. 

"Hey, I'm new here, but this is my house. Humor me." 

"You're a Blue Boy, Kyle." Isabel threw out. "Now let's all focus on the problem at hand. Does -anyone- know what's wrong with him? Did something happen recently?" Isabel's eyes were on Maria, the Usual Suspect when it came to Michael being upset or weird, so she didn't see the look that crossed Liz's face. Infact, no one saw it. 

~ * ~ 

(**(**(**(Flashback)**)**)**) 

Liz had no idea how long she cried on Michael's chest, but she finally stopped a few minutes after noon. It must have been about an hour, cause the breakup itself happened around eleven. Technically the tears didn't flow the entire time. They stopped every so often. But she was finally able to retrieve her face from Michael's sweater then. The skin of her face felt stiff and hard, from the dried tears. Michael quickly stood up off the bed, running a hand over his spiky hair and looked away towards the window. 

She rubbed her face with the comforter of her bed. The song from the music box Max gave her last Christmas had stopped long ago, so the room sat in silence for a while. When the silence was broken, she was the one who broke it. "Sorry. Hope I didn't ruin your sweater." Yeah, stupid, irrational thing to be worried about at a time like that. 

Michael smirked lightly for a second, "No problem." 

"So.. um.. why are you here again?" 

"I was going to try to cheer you up. Guess I failed." He gave a half shrug, looking a little confused, or was that embarrassed? 

She couldn't help but smile. Liz never expected anyone to come to cheer her up. Maria was in Nevada with her mom for the last week of summer and Alex probably wouldn't hear about the break up until his movie "date" with Isabel later that night. Of course they insisted it wasn't a "date". Michael though... She never thought -he- would show up. He was trying... so she might as well try to produce the preferred outcome. 

"No, you're doing fine. Though -I- would have started with food." 

That light smirk returned, "Well, what do you want? I'll go down to the store and get a few things. Unless you want chocolate and Tabasco, which is about all I got on me." 

Liz shoved on her best "happy-face" and went to take his arm. Part of the reason she could do this so easily is that she pretend the tall, spiky haired alien was really her shorter, blonder, human, best friend. \\I missed my calling. I should be an actress. I got Method Acting down.\\ 

Dragging Michael behind her, she grabbed up her purse, rushed past her mother, yelled something about going to the grocery store and didn't even look back. She didn't even think about the fact that what little makeup she did wear was somewhere on Michael's sweater. Or even the fact that her hair was messed up. 

They spent the next twenty minutes shopping. Michael mentioned more then once that if she even glanced at a clothing store, he was going to bail. She didn't want to shop for clothes. She wouldn't mind getting her hands on a science lab though... She had a small one in the corner of her room, but it was nowhere near what she wanted. A University Lab would be great right about then. 

When they were back up in her room again, they went out onto the roof and spread the food choices out into four categories. Chocolate. Salty. Fruity. And Spicy. The last category was sitting closest to Michael. 

"So... you really like strawberries and green peppers?" The combination was so strange to Liz. But then again, no less strange then Tabasco and chocolate... 

"Yep. Sweet and spicy." 

"I'll stick with sweet and salty," Liz said, spreading some Nutella on a saltine cracker. 

Michael raised an eyebrow at the sight of the chocolate spread on the cracker. "And you call my tastes strange." 

"Hey, don't knock it til you try it," Liz said before taking a small bite, her tongue touching the salty side. 

It took her a second to realize what was happening, but suddenly Michael was -very- close to her. Too close. He took her last comment as a dare and took a bite out of the other side of her cracker. His nose even brushed against hers lightly, then he pulled back and chewed on his bite. Liz nearly dropped the cracker. 

\\Oh God. I should -not- feel that about Michael. That is a reserved 'Max' feeling.\\ But it was too late. She'd already felt that little twist in her stomach, the tingling in her hands, the flush across her cheeks. \\This is not good. Max breaks up with me for the dozenth time and I start feeling attracted to his best friend. Someone shoot me. ... Again.\\ 

Michael didn't seem to notice her dilemma at all, and that helped pull her out of it. "Not bad. Needs a little Tabasco, but not bad. Alright, I tried one of your weird food combinations. You have to try one of mine." 

She gave her head a slight shake, and responded naturally, smiling, "Fine, but lay off the spice." 

"Spice isn't the only thing we like, really. It's more a mix of extremes." His lips pressed together slightly as he looked through the piles of food, then picked out the jar of dill pickles spears that kinda got shoved aside into the unnamed Other category and then the bag of potato chips. "Nothing fancy, but dill pickles and chips are an old favorite of mine. Probably because Hank actually bought them." He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of his former foster father, then continued, "It's good even without Tabasco. It's the vinegar I think." 

"You could always buy the salt and vinegar flavored chips, you know." 

"Tried 'em. Not the same." 

He handed her the jar of pickles and opened the chips. "So how do I eat these exactly?" 

Michael gave her a look like she had to be joking, then seemed to humor her with an answer, "Bite off a part of the pickle, then put a couple chips in your mouth." 

She did just that. Now -that- was an interesting mix of salt and vinegar. It almost tingled in her mouth, sending a strange taste of sour-ness against the back of her tongue. She didn't eat it too gracefully though. A few crumbs of chip pieces didn't make it into her mouth and ended up on her shirt. 

Michael leaned forward and casually brushed them off the front of her shirt. Now how anyone could casually do something like -that- was completely beyond her. "Next time, get more of the chips in your mouth. The salty taste will override the pickle taste." 

Liz couldn't find words for a moment or two. \\I can't get heart flutters over Michael. It's wrong! He's Max's best friend. -Maria's- boyfriend... sometimes. It's just the rebound thing. That's it. I'm hurt because of Max, and part of me wants to reach out elsewhere. It means -nothing.-\\ Once she had it analyzed, she could speak again, "It's okay. Not exactly my kind of thing though." 

"Oh well." He glanced over at the ice-cream they'd gotten. Vanilla. "So Vanilla is really your favorite?" 

"Uh.. Yes." She shrugged her shoulders. 

He picked up the ice-cream container, "Vanilla's the classic among ice-creams. And by itself, sure, it can seem a little plain. But it goes great with everything. Topping wise. Chocolate. Peanuts. Strawberries. M&Ms. Sprinkles. Carmel. Tabasco. It's the compatability with everything that makes it so interesting." 

Liz just stared for a few minutes. Was he talking about the ice-cream? Or something else...? Dismissing the thought, Liz grinned and grabbed a bowl so she could sample said classic. 

They ate a little while longer, then the put everything away and tried to think of something to do. Amazingly, Michael didn't even seem to want to go back to his place. Not that he really spent much time there anyway. One of the suggestions that got thrown out involved swimming. 

"We could always go down to Lea Lake. It's a warm day." Michael said with another shrug. Swimming at the only one of the Bottomless Lakes that allowed swimming wasn't exactly an uncommon thing in Roswell. 

Liz didn't like that idea, for one reason. "Promise you won't laugh?" 

"Boyscouts honor." 

"You were never a scout." 

"Okay, alienscouts honor." He said with a grin. 

Liz chuckles, "Okay! Well, I don't... like deep water very much." 

A raised eyebrow was Michael's visual response. "You're afraid of the water?" 

"-Deep- water, yeah." 

He didn't laugh, he nodded though, "Well if it's any reassurance, I used to be afraid of clouds. When I was like seven or something." He gave an 'it's no big deal' shrug. 

"Clouds?" Who knew? The rock hard Michael Guerin had a childhood fear, just like everyone else. Though clouds was somewhat unique. 

"Yeah." He shrugged again, then continued, "I didn't know where I came from, where home was, and the first family I stayed with... in Greenfield... the woman was really religious. She said I was..." he scratched at his hair, pausing. She didn't say anything, hoping he would continue. And he did a moment later. "...She said I was left by the angels, so I kinda thought if the clouds covered the sky, my real family wouldn't be able to find me and take me home." 

\\Oh wow.\\ Now -that- was one side of Michael that Liz hadn't expected to see. At all. Especially the slight watering of his eyes. Very slight. Only there for a second. "Oh... That... well... wow. I can see why you would be afraid of clouds." 

"Yeah... I would have liked to have stayed with that family, but after I burned down their house, I don't exactly expect for them to have kept me around." Michael said with a shrug, almost leaning towards brooding with that last bit. He turned away to look towards her desk. When he was facing her again, all signs of the watery eyes was gone. 

"You burnt down their house?" Liz tried to ask casually. 

"My powers. It was the first time I'd ever really used them. Well, with any real effect at least. I got frustrated at the TV, and sort of blew it up." 

"Oh." 

"So, why are you afraid of a little water?" He turned the conversation off himself. 

"Oh, well, it's hard to explain..." And not something she really wanted to go into. She'd never even told -Maria- this. But... it was only fair to return the favor. He'd told her the reasoning behind his fear... "Okay, when I was three, I was sleeping over at my Grandma Claudia's house, and I had a nightmare. I remember I woke up screaming. Grandma asked me what was wrong and I told her. I probably only remember it at all because I told her, and she told it to me again a few times... 

"Anyway, in the dream I'm under water. I can't breathe, and the water's really dark, so I can't see anything, but I'm trying to do something. I don't know what, but I'm swimming with bricks in my hands. And I keep sinking, and sinking. And ever since I won't even go into water over my head." 

"So you're afraid because of a dream?" Michael asked, looking thoughtful. He wasn't laughing at least. 

"Yeah. A dream." 

"Have you had it again? A reaccuring dream?" 

"Not that I know of. Not exactly the same at least. Sharks and alligators in swimming pools, floods, sure, but never the brick thing again." Liz grinned, then added, "I usually end up wrestling the alligators." 

Michael shook his head, "Why doesn't that surprise me?" 

They shared a laugh for a few moments, then an idea hit Liz. "Oh! I know!" She was suddenly excited, jumping up from where she was sitting. "Michael, would you mind donating your body to science?" 

A weird looked passed over his face, his forehead crinkling, "What!?" 

"Oh, I mean... well..." She went over to her mini-science lab, "I meant I'd love to take a few skin samples, blood samples, things like that. Answer a few questions for myself in the interest of science." He just looked at her. "Um... I'll keep all my findings hidden?" 

Michael leaned forward slightly, then started in a 'break it to her lightly' voice, "Liz... you know..." 

She cut him off, "If Valenti or the FBI or anyone really wanted to find proof of you three that badly, they could just scrape cells off a cup you finished using that they dug out of a trashcan. Haven't you ever seen Gattaca? You leave genetic information everywhere." 

Michael sighed and stood up, "Okay. You've made your argument, and it was a decent one. You win. But -just- skin and blood. And..." 

"I'll destroy it afterwards. I understand." Liz found something else to keep her mind off Max for another few hours. Michael was quickly becoming her favorite comforter. At least he didn't try to set her up with guys that weren't Max every three seconds like Maria... 

The rest of the day, straight on into evening was spent studying Michael, comparing him with herself, and even a plant she had in her room. Despite the actual studying part of it, she also ended up explaining to Michael everything she was doing. Apparently he'd never actually paid attention during Biology. He caught on pretty fast. Liz's parents even invited Michael to dinner. And to her shock, he actually stayed and ate with them. He was one of the only one of her friends who'd never actually sat down and talked with her parents. Not that he really did much talking, but that wasn't exactly the point. 

Afterwards they went over a few final things in her room. "What I'd really like to try, is get my hands on a RF Detector. So I could see how high your Radio Frequency emissions are. Though if my theory is correct, you'd just blow the thing up." 

"Your theory?" 

"Yes, well, River Dog said that the fourth alien said that those stones, the ones that glowed when we healed you and when you placed them in the indentions in the cave, that they were made up of the same 'energy' that he was. An energy he called the Balance. So my guess, is that you're beings of pure energy. That could explain how you woke up in human form. And your powers. They're mostly energy or psychic based." 

He looked interested, "So what other tests would you need to run to prove the theory of yours?" 

"Oh, I would need a huge lab, tons of high-tech equipment. An electric incentogram would be great. But nothing I would be able to do without at least being in college. Or preferably on a government granted program." She saw him raise an eyebrow at that. "Not that I would... you... know... what I mean." 

"Well, I don't think you'd turn us over, even for 'science.'" Michael said with a small smirk, then added, "And it's getting late. I better go before your parents think I'm staying over or something." 

"We wouldn't want that." Liz said with a smile. With a good night on both sides, Michael left. And she was stuck with nothing but Max oriented thoughts, no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't even get past writing the date in her journal... 

But Michael wasn't gone ten minutes when there was a tapping on her window. She glanced over, somewhat surprised at who she saw there, then went to open the window. It was Michael again. "Did you forget something?" 

He had a strange expression on his face as he stood near the window, then Michael gave a small nod, and said, "Yeah. I did." 

Then he did the one thing Liz really wasn't prepared for. At all. In fact, she was so unprepared for it, it took a second to realize it was happening. Another second to react to it. And another second to remember who it was happening -with-, and react the -right- way. Michael kissed her. One of those kisses that Maria had such a hard time explaining over buckets of icecream all those years ago. And maybe it -was- an alien thing, because there was that light headed feeling, followed by goosebumps all over. And the worse part was, she returned it. Until it hit her what was -really- happening. She was kissing -Michael.- Michael was kissing -her.- This was -beyond- wrong. And she took control of the situation and pulled back, eyes wide, gasping slightly. 

She just stared at Michael as he gave a slight nod of his head, turned and moved towards the ladder. He was all the way out of sight when her body could work again. Guilt crept in. And not just guilt over kissing Michael. But also of pulling away. Which didn't really make sense when she tried to analyze it... And -why- did he kiss her? She needed answers. She had to have answers. She wouldn't be able to -sleep- until she had answers. So she crawled out her window and started off behind him. 

(**(**(**(End Flashback)**)**)**) 

~ * ~ 

The connection was made instantly, the second he touched Michael. Max Evans didn't even need to try. The problem was, there was nothing to heal. Not even a scratch or a bruise. In fact he was the epitome of perfect health. Radiating strength and energy the same as he was light. But why was he unconscious? Why didn't the connection carry any flashes? Why were his emotions only able to be felt with the connection? And why were there so many at once, all intense? 

Since healing didn't have any effect, Max reached through the emotional connection with his friend, probing lightly for some sign of what was wrong. Some sense of Michael besides the emotions... And found nothing. It was almost like... Michael wasn't really there. Just emotions and energy and light. 

Max couldn't hold the connection very long. He pulled his hands back and opened his eyes. Liz was watching him with. He offered her a smile. What more could he do? He was glad to have her there. She returned the smile, but with very little happiness behind it, but that was only to be expected under the circumstances. 

"So... does anyone have any ideas or are we just going to like sit here and bask in the glow of Michael?" Maria asked from where she was sitting against the wall. She was worried, and scared, and doing an awful job hiding it. Kyle was the only one not in the room. He went to the kitchen to make coffee for everyone. 

"There's nothing physically wrong with him. In fact, he's probably never been stronger in his life." Max said, looking towards his sister. "He's not dying. That much I'm sure of." 

Everyone seemed to relax a little at that announcement. Max just hoped he wasn't wrong in jumping to that conclusion. And he felt the need to add, "But... I don't know what will happen if this doesn't... go away. And I don't know how to stop it." 

"What about River Dog?" Alex asked from the corner, "Could he know what's happening? He's known a lot before." 

That was a good idea. "We might as well try to ask him." Max glanced at Maria. Maria didn't look like she was about to leave Michael, so he turned his eyes to Isabel. "Izz, why don't you and Alex go to the reservation and get River Dog." 

His sister instantly stood up and nodded, "Of course." 

In less then a few minutes, they were out the door. 

Chapter Four 

Considering what mine eyes have seen, And all the sweetness which thou wast In thy beginnings in the past, And all the strength thou wouldst have been. 

The road was dark, moon casting silver highlights along the black pavement where the headlights weren't glaring, as Alex Whitman drove his car towards the Indian Reservation. Isabel had leaned her head against the window and fallen asleep after a few minutes on the road. He didn't mind. He loved watching her sleep. It inspired him. He could explain it better in notes and lyrics then in actual words. The curve of her jaw. Her liquid gold hair resting against her skin. The way her eyes twitched below her lids. Her soft breaths whispering against the window. The music of her entire presence. 

When he'd first started writing songs they lacked real inspiration. His early attempts at song were shoved in the bottom of a shoe box in his closet at home. They didn't have texture. Emotion. Then Isabel waltzed into his life. Sure, she'd always been around. He'd seen her around all through junior high, and the later years of elementary. But it wasn't really until freshman year that he began to really watch her. 

He would be the first to admit that he had had a crush on her. Oh yes, defiantly a crush. But then what boy didn't? She was Isabel Evans. Undisputed Goddess of Beauty of West Roswell High. But Alex never looked at her as just another beautiful face. Just another stunning body. He saw her as... lonely. Walled up. Isolated. Hiding behind the Goddess mask. And he wanted to see what was under it. What was inside. 

And when he found out the truth about her, he began to understand why she seemed like that to him. And his song quality hit the atmosphere. Emotions flooded the music he wrote. Emotion. Depth. Meaning. The songs he wrote under Isabel-inspiration almost had a magic all their own. Like her, he guessed. Alex couldn't really explain it to himself, or anyone else, but it was like when she was around him, she breathed life into corners of his mind he hadn't really known were there. She didn't even have to say a word. 

Glancing over towards her, taking his eyes off the highway every so often, Alex started to hum softly under his breath. A new song was being born. Perhaps Isabel wasn't his only inspiration tonight, cause no matter how hard he tried to push the word from his mind, 'light' kept finding it's way into the lyrics he started trying to match up to the tune in his head. One word that kept repeating in his mind quickly became attached to a entire line. One line became two. He whispered the lyrics lightly with the notes he already had. "The world is but an unkempt keeper, who holds us all before the light." He probably would have gotten a few more lines done if Isabel hadn't woken up. 

To be honest, she scared him when she woke up like that. Starting up and gasping loudly like she hadn't breathed in a long time, eyes wide and staring forward like she was seeing a ghost. He was so startled, the car swerved a little on the road. "'Bel?" Alex asked almost as soon as he recovered himself. 

Isabel kept staring forward for a moment, then said, "Oh my God. I should have realized...." Then she looked over at him. "Turn around, Alex. Now." 

"But what about River Dog?" It was suggestion to go to the old Native American in the first place. He kinda wanted to stick by it. 

"Alex, I know what's wrong with Michael. Turn around." Her eyes watched his steadily, commanding, yet not as much as they sometimes could be. 

Alex didn't argue further and did what she said. "So you going to tell me?" 

Isabel seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then she looked away. He knew instantly that she wasn't going to tell him, even before she threw out the excuse. "It's... hard to put into words. I'd rather wait until we get back, so I only have to explain it once." 

Alex gave a distant sigh. \\I hope they're not going back into the 'me alien, you human, this alien business' stage again.\\ He honestly didn't care much for when they got into those moods, even if a small part of him understood of it. The other -- much more dominate -- part of him focused on the fact that he cared deeply for the three aliens... That he was willing to risk and sacrifice anything to save or protect them. He'd do anything for Liz or Maria in a heartbeat. Just because Isabel and Michael and Max were from another planet, didn't make them any less his friends. Or in the case of one of them, someone he was in love with. 

~ * ~ 

(**(**(**(Flashback)**)**)**) 

Rain and New Mexico summer heat and sweaters. Not a good combination. The rain made the sweater damp and sticky, uncomfortable. The heat made it even more so. So while Michael made the trek away from the Crashdown, he had more on his mind then what he'd just done. Unfortunately, what he'd done wouldn't take long to come back to haunt him. 

"What the hell was that, Michael? Your famous 'drive-by-kiss'?" 

He stopped at the first sound of her voice. Glancing heavenward, he let out a long sigh before turning around. Liz looked exactly like she had when he left her. She didn't even put shoes on when she went to follow him. Just the pair of pale blue socks she'd had on. And they were damp now from the rain. His only verbal response to her words was a simple, "I didn't know it was famous." 

From the look on her face, he couldn't tell what she was feeling to much extent. Confusion was the most apparent thing though. Michael kept his expression level. He'd never been as good at reading auras as Max or Isabel. They were just swirls and splotches of color to him. He didn't go around writing down certain colors and matching them up with emotions. And for the longest time he couldn't even see them unless the colors were extremely intense. One of the many problems he had with his powers over the years. 

"Enough with the witty remarks. I want answers, Michael." 

"Of course you do." His eyes drifted towards the sky again. A few raindrops landed on his cheeks. She wasn't saying anything, waiting for his answer he guessed. But Michael wasn't going to answer the question. "It's who you are. Answers. Haven't you learned yet that you can't always have answers? Sometimes there are no answers at all." 

Frustration crossed Liz's face, and she said firmly, "To these questions there are. -You- don't do anything for no reason. Why did you kiss me?" 

Michael just grinned slightly and continued what he was saying, "You need answers to fill up holes in your mind." It was her turn to look towards the heavens. "Without them you feel lost. But with every answer you get, more questions surface. Life isn't a science experiment, Liz. You can't just dissect everything. You can't set things up in a strict system under a set of rules and get answers. It doesn't work like that. Sometimes things just happen, for no reason other then it -did-." 

When he paused, Liz's eyes went back to him. "You're avoiding the question." She looked like she was about to loose her patience. Good. 

Michael moved towards her, coming within a foot of her before he spoke, "I know you, Liz. I know how your mind works." 

Jaw tightening ever so slightly, Liz looked for a moment as if she were going to take a step back. But she didn't. She inclined her head slightly, looking up at him, "You read my journal two years ago, Michael. I've changed." 

She was setting this up perfectly for him. Michael leaned down slightly, moving his face closer to hers, "Yes, you have." He kept his eyes on hers, pausing. Silence except for the usual sounds of Roswell and the soft rain, filled the air for a moment, then he continued, he kept his face straight, "For instance, what was it you wrote a week ago, Liz? 'Sometimes when I'm looking up at the stars I wonder what it would be like to embrace one. Would it feel like when I'm with Max? Is he the closest I'll ever get to holding a star in my hands?' Personally I think you were using metaphors." 

The moment he started the quote was when Liz took a step back, eyes widening a little. She didn't speak until after he stopped, "Oh my God... You... You're still reading my journal?" A blush appeared on her cheeks and she looked away from him. "That's an invasion of privacy." 

"So are your questions." 

More silence passed between them. The sounds of a few cars, the distant whispers of people talking. The dripdrop of rain against the small puddles on the streets. The hiss of tires running over a the wet pavement. Liz took in a breath, then looked back at him. Her eyes were a little wider then normal, and her jaw a little tighter, but she didn't look embarrassed anymore. 

"Will you just answer the question? You were never good at doing a Yoda impression." 

"I do a better Darth Vader." Then he gave a small sigh, breaking out of his come-back mode and motioned towards her, "You better get inside. Didn't your mother ever tell you about going out in the rain without an umbrella?" 

Liz crossed her arms across her chest and set her jaw stubbornly, "I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers." 

"Fine," Michael said with a shrug and turned around to continue towards his house. 

There was a soft, almost inaudible grumble behind him, "No wonder Maria was always frustrated." Then the distinctive sound of someone wearing wet socks following him. He didn't speed up, and he didn't slow down. He just kept walking as if it were any other day. 

"Where are you going?" Liz asked after half a block. 

Michael didn't stop, and he didn't slow down, but he did respond, "Home. I'm getting tired, and I don't like standing in the rain, unless I have to." 

"Oh." With that said, she didn't say anything for the rest of the trip to his house. Not that it was that far. He lived less then five blocks from the Crashdown. He was honestly surprised when she didn't bombard him with more questions. 

His newest Foster Family, strangely enough, were the Fosters. Daniel and Melaine Foster was nice enough, but they had three other foster kids to look after, so they didn't have the time to focus too much attention on the teenager in their midst. They gave him his space, and he gave them there's. He liked it that way. He had his own room, which used to be a enclosed back porch, so he didn't have to use the front door to get in. That was one blessing he was entirely glad to have. Saved climbing out windows at night to sneak over to Max's. Though he didn't have to do that very often anymore. 

Once he reached the house he glanced back to see if Liz was still right behind him, even though he already knew the answer. He could almost sense her back there. Her hair was damp, sticking against her forehead and neck. Her clothes were more then splotched with the rain. Michael looked at her for a moment as she stood there stubbornly. 

"Humans," he murmured with a slight ironic tinge to his voice. 

Liz's aura fluctuated for a moment, the highlights and swirls fading and being taken over by new colors. It was like looking at a living, forever moving, painting. That was the only thing he ever found truly fascinating about the colors and textures and shapes that made up the emotional essence of a person. When their emotions fluctuated it was like looking at an oil based kaleidoscope. Rich amber with swirls of blue, then red, then violet, then deep green. Peacock green lingered for a moment, only to be taken over by a sharp yellow, like the a lemon. That's why his eyes lingered on her a few moments longer then he should have allowed himself. She had time to find words for her next question. 

"Why did you really come to see me today, Michael?" 

At the sound of her voice invading his ears, Michael tilted his eyes towards the sky again. "Because I -felt- like it, okay?" He was beginning to lose his patience with this. She wasn't supposed to chase after him. If he'd thought she would have chased after him, he certainly wouldn't have given her the option to do so. 

He heard Liz take in a breath slowly, even if she wasn't in the his line of sight. A second later she asked, "So you kissed me because you felt like it?" 

"I didn't say..." he stopped himself, trailing off with an incomprehensible grumble. Michael waved his hand over the lock to the back door, not even bothering to dig for a key. He slipped inside instantly and closed the door firmly behind him. Another sweep of his hand and the door was securely locked again. He spared a glance through the window in the door before turning around to get deeper into the room. 

Michael turned on the radio and punched the volume up as loud as the Foster family would allow without complaints and laid down. He would deal with this tomorrow. It should have never happened. If he just... avoided it... "Yeah... that'll work." he muttered sarcastically to the ceiling. 

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Michael sat up instantly, glancing towards the one which lead outside. But the sound didn't come from that direction, it came from the door which lead into the main part of the house. The kitchen to be exact. He glanced at the clock. \\10:34. The Fosters wouldn't be knocking this late unless it was important.\\ 

"Just a minute," Michael got up and opened the door. Only to find a drowned mink. In the form of Liz Parker. He really should have known better. "I'm really kicking myself right now." he said with a soft sight. 

"Yeah, well, will you let me in, or do you want me to leave a big wet spot in your foster mom's carpet." 

Liz was in the kitchen, so he stated the obvious first, "There's no carpet right there, Liz, and how did you get inside?" 

She nodded her head in the general direction of the front door, "There's a key under the mat." 

Michael rolled his eyes, "I really need to talk to the Fosters about their methods of security." 

"So, let me in or explain to your benefactors why you have a girl over after light's out." 

\\Great.\\ So Maria had told Liz about the time Dan caught her in his room. "Fine.." he motioned for her to enter. 

His room was clean, almost in a military-like way. Michael didn't have very many belongings, and what he did have was easy to manage. A few books here and there, clothes all in his dresser. No posters decorated his walls, just a few star-charts which were on his door. He had his radio, and that was it. No pictures of family or friends, no stuffed animals. Nothing. 

"So are you going to answer my question now, Michael? You claim to know me so well, so you know I'm not going anywhere until you give me an answer." 

He decided to cut deep. It was the only option he really saw that was still allowed of him. Michael couldn't just throw her out, she probably kept the key, and if not she could always wake up his foster family... Not something he wanted. So he knew what he said was cruel before it left his lips, "You never chased this diligently after Max." 

Flinch. Liz looked away from him after the quick movement. "Yes I did." she said softly. 

"Sometimes you did. Why not today? Why didn't you chase after him and demand answers for why he broke up with you?" 

The songs over the radio were the only sound for a few moments. Liz didn't answer his question until she looked back at him, "Maybe I don't want to come off as one of those possessive girls who can't let go." 

"But you -can't-, Liz." Michael said an instant after she finished, his voice a little louder then he intended. He lowered it before he continued, "That's the whole point. You -can't- let go of Max. You couldn't if you wanted to. You might as well try to live without air." 

Her aura was doing hue shifts once more. Michael tried not to pay attention to it. But despite his attempt to ignore it, he knew one thing. She was near the whole crying thing again. He'd struck too deep. Her aura was quickly approaching the patterns and colors it was when he saw her earlier. He hadn't meant to hurt Liz that badly... 

"Fine." 

It was said out of nowhere, and caused Liz's aura to go shifty again. He was really starting to get annoyed by her aura. Couldn't she find an emotion and stay on it? If he had wanted to have a headache he would have kicked himself in the head. 

"What?" 

"I said fine." Michael repeated, watching her face go from stubborn to surprise. "I'll answer your questions." 

(**(**(**(Flashback)**)**)**) 

~ * ~ 

The coffee was cold when Kyle Valenti finally remembered it and tried to take a sip. Having an abhorrence for cold coffee he instantly put the cup back down with a sigh and glanced around his bedroom at those present. Max Evans was sitting against the wall on the floor, with Liz's head resting against his shoulder. Despite the fact that it had been years ago when he 'lost' Liz, he still felt a stab of jealousy somewhere deep down. The bubbly Maria DeLuca, who had refused the coffee, was sitting on the bed, next to the covered form of the person they were all here because of. Isabel and Alex were still gone, and everyone else seemed intent on waiting patiently. The ability to wait patiently had never been one of his stronger qualities. 

When he stood up, everyone's eyes went to him. "We can't just sit here and wait. There must be something we can do without this River Dog-person you were talking about." 

With his usual calm expression firmly in place, Max was the first to say anything, "Did you have an idea?" 

A small grin crossed his lips, "As a matter of fact, Maxie-boy, I do." Without waiting to see if they were planning on following him, he left the room, moving in the direction of the very essence of his idea. His father's private home office. 

Once Kyle reached the one room in the house he was forbidden to enter, he turned around to see that both Liz and Max had followed him. Maria probably opted to stay with Michael, not that he was really surprised by that. 

"What's that?" Liz asked, nodding her head in the direction of the door. 

"My father's private office. He moved most his files here a few years ago. Something to do with an Agent Stevens." 

Kyle tapped his hand lightly against the solid oak door frame. 

"He's been keeping all his files which are supernatural in nature here. People send him faxes and information on sightings from all over the world here. I figured there might be a chance his files might mention something about this. Perhaps another one of you went all glow-y once upon a time and someone wasn't around to throw a blanket over them." 

He glanced back at them again. They both looked skeptical. "If nothing else, it's worth looking into, right?" 

They looked at each other for a moment, and when Liz gave a half-nod, Max gave his response. "Let's look. If nothing else, I've always wondered what was in your father's files." 

\\He made sure it was okay with Liz first? Boy, he's whipped. ... And you weren't? ... Oh shut up.\\ Kyle had a mental argument with himself for a few moments before pulling out his keychain and looking for the right key. "I... borrowed his key a few years ago and made myself a copy." 

Kyle found the key and unlocked the door, opening it. "When I found out about... you guys... I figured I should keep an eye on my dad's discoveries. So I could give you fair warning. You know, if he ever found proof." 

The look that was across Max's face was priceless. Kyle wished he had a camera. Surprise, a small dose of shock, and even a little... respect. About time. "How did you find out?" 

There was a long pause, on all sides. It was Kyle's fault. He wasn't exactly prepared to give an answer to that question. Though the minute he'd told Isabel, Maria and Alex out there on that parking lot, he should have assumed it he would have to explain eventually. It took him at least a minute before he gave the answer, after a prompting from Liz. "There were clues all over since the beginning of sophomore year. My dad suddenly became obsessed with you and the alien sighting things just like my grandpa was. I didn't even think that you might be... you know... 'alien' cause I never believed in them, but then..." He paused for a moment, almost dramatically. They were both hanging on his every word. 

"About two years ago, my dad got a letter, from Miss Topolski. I figured it was about me, cause she was our guidance counselor for a while, you know, so I opened it before he saw it. Only it wasn't about me. It was about you guys." 

Kyle could still remember when he first picked up that letter. He'd thought it would just be something about his transcripts, or something silly like that, but when he opened it and read the letter... She wrote to ask his father to trade information on the 'Evans Case' whatever that was. And in the signature it gave her true profession. An FBI Agent. Now why was an FBI Agent interested in Evans? Why did she pose as a guidance counselor? Why was she asking his father for an exchange of information? It didn't take a genius to figure it out. Just took a major leap to think that it could possibly be true. 

Max Evans. An alien. Possible? No. Of course it wasn't possible. Aliens aren't real. Or that's what Kyle told himself for hours after putting all the evidence together. He didn't believe any of it at all, until he "borrowed" his father's key and looked through his files. The corpses with the silver-hand print. The files on Hubble. His grandfather. The silver-hand print he saw on Liz after the Crashdown incident. The file on the Crashdown incident. 

\\No way. It couldn't be true.\\ 

But every file he looked at just solidified his thinking on the subject. Max Evans was an alien. A non-human. From another planet entirely. It didn't take much longer to figure out that Isabel had to be as well. Putting Michael into the group only took a few moments longer. It explained everything. Why they were so secretive. Why Liz suddenly got so distant. She must have found out. 

The bullet hole in the dress his father found. Liz was shot. Shot. Max saved her life... He had to have. There was no other way she could have possibly survived without a scratch or even a scar. 

Kyle had no idea what to do at first. The only thing he knew for sure is that he couldn't let his father see that letter. Just in case he took the offer. Though from what little he'd heard from his father about interference by the FBI, he had reason to doubt he would accept the exchange anyway. The next day when he went to school was probably the hardest day of all for him. He had classes with all of them. 

Decades of alien-centric movies and tv shows hadn't exactly prepared him for the truth of aliens walking in his high school halls. Most aliens were evil. Bent on the annihilation of Earth or the conquering of the human race. How could he possibly keep a straight face around them now that he -knew-? If Max had the power to heal a gunshot wound in mere seconds, wouldn't he just know from a look that he knew? What would they do to him if they knew he knew? 

Those thoughts were banished after the first class he had with one of them. Isabel. Beautiful, confident, popular. Isabel Evans was the embodiment of teenage girl perfection. When she walked down the hall, heads turned. It was watching her talk softly to one of her lackey friends that made him remember the first time he'd really talked to her. In the third grade, at Jesse Lopex's birthday party. She'd been nice to him, offered him one of her cookies. She'd smiled so sweetly that it was hard not to like her even if she was a giiirrrrl. 

Kyle had watched as she grew up. Her and Max. And even Michael, though he hadn't met him until later. If they'd wanted to kill them or take over the planet, they would have done so long ago. Plus, Max had saved Liz's life. Liz was in love with him, any one with eyes could see that. She wouldn't love him if he were evil. And he couldn't possibly be evil if he saved Liz. 

That day, when he saw Liz and Max talking in the hallway, Kyle grinned ever so lightly as he walked by. 

And finally, almost two years later, they knew why he had grinned that day. 

Chapter Five 

A mastermind with master minds, An orb repulsive of all hate, A will concentric with all fate, A life four-square to all the winds. 

Light flooded the neatly organized office when Kyle brushed the back of his hand lightly against the metal work of a medium sized touch-lamp on the desk. Max Evans watched in silence as the sheriff's son opened the top drawer on the right side of the desk and pulled out a file. "I remember this one mentioning something about bright lights." 

With a flick of his wrist the file flew towards Max, coming close to hitting him dead on in the face. Luckily he had alien reflexes and caught the folder. "Watch where you throw." he mentioned softly, not sounding angry. He wasn't angry. Much. 

When Kyle looked up, he seemed genuinely surprised. Not just in his facial expression, but in some signs of his aura as well, "Oh. Sorry. Did I hit you?" 

From the doorway a soft voice interrupted, toned in the direction of jesting, "Will you two boys be alright by yourself? I don't really want to leave Maria alone in there." 

A smile found it's way on his face as he looked at his wife. Max still got a slight feeling of lightheadedness of attaching that word in his mind to Liz. Elizabeth Evans. His wife. Anyone else would have been giggling over the emotions flitting through Max's very being. \\Alright, you got dozens of years to get giddy about being married. Right now focus on the files and Michael.\\ 

"Go ahead, Liz. We'll be fine." Max finally found himself saying. The pause for everyone else was a few seconds, but to him it seemed much longer. Liz had that effect on him. Making time seem to slow down. 

She lingered for a moment, and added with a smirk, "You two play nice now." Then she turned and went in the direction of Kyle's bedroom and the rest of the house, where Maria was sitting with Michael no doubt. 

Opening the folder, Max looked at the pictures, all of which were held in place by paper clips. Bright lights in a dark sky. Probably lights from air craft. Unlikely that it dealt with a spaceship. But they weren't looking for a space ship. They were looking for a reason why Michael might be glowing. 

Max glanced towards Kyle, who was sorting through another file. He was forced to ask, "So do you really think we'll find anything helpful?" 

"No." Kyle said, then glanced over and laughed lightly before adding, "But hey, at least this'll give us something to do besides stick our thumbs up our asses and wait for your sis and the Whit-y wonder to get back with some old guy." 

"River Dog's not just 'some old guy...'" Max corrected. He was going to add more but he was interrupted. 

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Old Native American guy. Knew another alien like you. Blahblahblah. I heard it the first time, Max." Kyle knelt down and put the folder he was going through back in it's place and began shifting through the remaining ones, looking for something. 

"He's saved our lives a few times. Michael's in particular." 

"Yeah, but the way Liz told it, Michael wouldn't have been in any trouble if it hadn't been for the old guy in the first place." Kyle said as he pulled out another folder and peeked inside it. A few seconds later it was back where it had been and he moved on to the next one. 

His interpretation of the tale Liz told him just thirty minutes ago was fairly accurate once Max looked at it from another viewpoint. The sweat tent was a test, and when Michael passed the test it nearly cost him his life. Course Michael could have stayed away from the Reservation like he'd asked him too, but... 

Max cut off his train of thought and looked back down at the pictures in his folder. Nothing that even remotely connected with the current crisis. Except for the light part. 

Sighing, Max went to where Kyle was and held the file towards him, "Nothing in this one." 

Kyle absently took the file off his hands and gave him a new one, returning the old one to it's place in the drawer. "So could you glow like that if you wanted?" 

Opening the file, looking at the plain type on the paper, Max answered absently, "I guess. Though I wouldn't be able to sustain it very long. Would take a lot of energy." 

Kyle's response to that was almost lost as he was skimming over text, "But it's not taking anything out of Michael to do that?" 

"No. He's as strong as he's ever been..." Max trailed off as he found something interesting in his skimming, "Kyle, can you locate a file from March 3, 2003?" 

"Sure." Kyle closed the drawer and opened the one right below it and found the file marked that date a few moments later. Max looked over his shoulder as he opened it. "So what is this file about." 

"Just a mention of a strange sighting outside a town in Colorado. Talks about a light as bright as the sun that chilled everything it touched." 

"Just like Michael..." 

"Exactly." 

Kyle flipped a few pages and came across a photograph. It was a night-time scene, outside in a wooded area. There was a bright streak of light on one side of the photo. Not just a streak. A figure, with the light stretching out behind it as it was probably moving. Max leaned forward a little. The figure almost looked... "Looks almost human. Weird." Kyle said out loud. "The Human Comet, complete with a tail." 

"What does the rest of the file have to say?" Max resisted the urge to just tear the file out of his hands. He was good at resisting his many urges. Years of practice. 

Kyle flipped the picture and revealed a page of text, some typed, some handwritten. Max skimmed over it quickly, processing as much as he could in as little time as possible. Speed-reading in an alien-like way. There. 

Max reached a hand out and pointed at the last paragraph, "A missing persons report coincides with the sighting." 

"Doesn't say who." Kyle flipped the page and the next, and then found the missing person's report. "Bingo, Maxie. Let's see... Davidson, Vergil H. Last seen: March 3, 2003. And get this. His house is less then two miles from the sighting." 

Leaning forward even move, Max asked, "Anything else on him in there? Your father had to have made the connection. Likely he would have pulled all the information on him as possible." 

There was a long pause from Kyle. 

"Kyle?" 

He gave his head a firm shake and said, "Sorry. Just... Akron, Colorado... That's where my dad is right now." 

Breath caught in Max's throat. "So... he might come back with proof." It wasn't a question. More a dreaded statement. 

"Of this Davidson, guy, sure. But unless you know him, there's no way he could connect you to him..." Kyle seemed to be trying to reassure himself on the whole thing, as well as Max. "Anyway, the sighting happened back in March. That's months ago, Max. For all we know Glow-Man Number One died soon after. Or burned himself up entirely. No body's been found either. Or it could be a hoax, and a strange coincidence." Again, he sounded like he was trying to convince himself. 

"See if you can find any more files that mention him." Max said, not too convinced of the coincidence yet. "Maybe something that happened to him in late February or early March triggered the transformation. Then we can compare it with things that have happened to Michael recently. If we know the cause me might find the remedy more easily." 

"What kind of remedy are you talking about here? I highly doubt we can just stur up a batch of 'Anti-Glow' medicine and make him swallow it." 

Max couldn't help but smile, at least inwardly. "Probably something more like the Balance ceremony Liz tried to explain to you." 

"Oh, fun. A circle of friends. That cures anything." Kyle muttered sarcastically. "Good thing I won't have to play along. If I did, Michael would probably run screaming." 

"No, I think he'd punch you." Max mentioned in his most neutral voice. Just speaking the truth. 

Kyle laughed for a moment, then brushed his dark hair off his forehead before answering that, "Yeah. Then he'd punch you for inviting me along." 

The smile was outward as well as inward this time. There was a long pause of no talking as Kyle seemed content to laugh a little more. When he was done, Max's face returned to it's usually calm and passive expression and he asked softly, "Kyle... Why are you doing this for us?" 

The laughter on Kyle's face faded for a moment as he just returned the look for a while. With a shrug of his shoulders he said, "I'm not doing it for you. Or Michael. Or Isabel. Or even Liz. And that kinda rules out Alex and Maria too." 

"Then why are you doing it?" 

Another long moment of pauses. Kyle's electric blue aura remained steady and un-speckled. No fluctuations like some people's tended to get at times like that. Finally he answered with a shrug, "You probably won't understand this, but I'm doing it for what I would think of myself if I didn't." 

Max meant to say something in response. He really did. But the phone in the main house rang. Kinda ruined his train of thought with blinding panic. 

~ * ~ 

(**(**(**(Flashback)**)**)**) 

"...I'll answer your questions." 

It took a minute for Liz to really process that Michael had just complied with her requests. ... Alright, so they were closer to demands, but she was still surprised he agreed to answer her questions. She hadn't been expecting him to fold so quickly. Or at all. 

Taking a deep breath, Liz looked away for a moment. She had so many questions she wanted answers to... but she had no idea which one to ask first. She wished she had had the time to make a list, but the whole thing was kind of dropped in her lap. A list would help her make sure she didn't forget too many questions, or get sidetracked by a line of questions she didn't really need answered. 

"Okay. Let's start with why. Why'd you kiss me?" 

His eyes drifted towards the ceiling, as she was beginning to notice they did a lot lately, and Michael let out a long sigh. "I don't know... To see if you would kiss me back, maybe." He shrugged. 

"To see if I would kiss you back...?" Liz found herself repeating. A moment later it hit her that she -did- kiss him back. "Uh... um... okay... well..." 

//Come on. You can calculate the square root of ten thousand, six hundred and nine in your head in a matter of seconds, you should be able to form a complete sentence.// 

"One hundred and three." 

That crease showed in Michael's forehead again, "What?" 

Liz almost physically kicked herself. "Sorry..." //Focus.// "Why did you want to know if I would kiss you back?" 

"You know the answer to that one, Liz." Michael said with a small shrug, running a hand over his no-longer spiky hair. The rain had taken care of that. 

"I do?" 

"The same reason you followed me here." 

"Oh." Liz bit her lip lightly, looking away. Because he had to know the answer. Just like she had to know the answer. But why?? Why her? Why then? But there was one thing she wanted the answer two more then the others. 

"Michael... you... opened up today. You never open up, at least not... you know... to me. Or even to Maria very much as she tells it. So... why did you open up? Why can you open up with... me... today... and not with Maria all the millions of times you've been together?" According to Maria most of what they did together was fight or smooch. 

"This isn't about Maria." 

"Isn't it?" 

There was a pause. Michael's jaw tightened slightly. Liz wondered if he was beginning to doubt his statement just like she did. Then he just shook his head, "No. It isn't. And just so you don't get confused, this isn't about Max either." 

"Oh." Liz said, looking away. She knew the tone of her voice was almost sarcastic. She couldn't help it. She didn't believe that for a minute. 

Michael didn't seem to like her tone, "What do you mean 'oh'?" He even mimicked her tone. 

"Just, you seem kind of competitive with him sometimes." Yeah. That was the real reason she didn't believe his statements. \\Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, Lizzy. Maybe you'll believe it.\\ 

Michael shook his head and changed the subject, "You're getting ahead of yourself, Liz. Why don't you at least take off your socks? Wouldn't do for you to come down with a cold." 

Her socks? She glanced down at her feet, and awareness returned to her. She hadn't even noticed how cold she was getting, or the fact that the fabric of her clothes were almost completely soaked through. They were a little drier then they had been when she came in, but they were damp enough to be chilly and annoying. She was about to sit down and take them off -- the socks at least -- when Michael spoke again. 

"Wait..." He moved until he was right in front of her. She watched as he raised his hands until they were parallel with her arms. His hands swept downward, following her figure, remaining an inch away from actually touching her. He even kneeled down in one motion to continue until his hands touched the floor. Along the path that Michael's hands followed, Liz found her skin and the fabric of her clothing suddenly dry. His hands were even glowing lightly at the palm. 

When he stood up to tower over her again, the only part of her still wet was her hair. Well... her undergarments were still a little damp, but she wasn't about to ask him to go over them again. 

Michael gave a half-shrug, mentioning almost defensively even though she hadn't even said a word, "I've been practicing a little lately." Then his hands reached up again and brushed against her hair. She closed her eyes for a second at the feeling of his fingers touching her scalp and lacing through her hair. 

It was a strange feeling. Wherever his fingers happened to be, her hair became dry, like he was brushing the water off with every touch. Liz opened her eyes when he was finished and looked up at him. She saw it coming this time, and she still didn't stop it. 

Like before, the kiss was soft and slow, almost like he was expecting her to pull away and giving her the option too. She knew good and well she should pull away again, like she had before. But she didn't. Liz's eyes drifted closed again, only instead of darkness cloaking her vision, it turned red. Like she was closing her eyes under rays of sunlight. A second later there was a strange... buzzing in her ears. Like the sound a generator. The buzzing faded, and so did the pressure against her lips. 

"Are you okay with this?" he asked softly, breath brushing against her lips as he spoke. 

Liz kept her eyes closed. She was trying to think, but nothing seemed to come to her mind except the sound of his breathing. She suddenly felt like she was flung back into the past, standing in the Crashdown watching Michael being all intimidating. When he'd appeared in the Crashdown that night she'd been scared. Probably one of the scariest moments that year, and taking in the consideration of that year was scary in and of itself. She had no idea what he would do to her for the whole journal thing. He hadn't exactly been silent about his dislike of her involvement in the aliens lives. 

Would she be laid out on an autopsy table with a silver-handprint the next day like the photo of that corpse Valenti showed her? Would they even -find- her body? Would he make it look like a robbery? The millions of images of her own death entering her head had completely stopped almost all of the rest of her thoughts. 

He'd scared her into near silence. Talked in a way that made her lean away from him. Then he got to the real reason he was there, and she had been so... jolted by the whole thing she still hadn't had much to say. She could only get the obvious and critical comments and questions to form in her mouth. She was back in that position once more. No words were coming to her mind. In fact, the entire mental process was completely stuck, like someone shoved foam into her nervous system. She couldn't even draw up a catchy song to fill the silence in her mind. 

"Liz?" 

\\Thank you, Michael.\\ His voice. She could focus on his voice. \\Open your eyes.\\ Her eyes drifted open. \\Now form words already before he thinks you're comatose. It wasn't that good of a kiss.\\ "Uh... I..." \\Come on. Just one sentence. You can do it.\\ "I don't really know." 

Michael gave a half nod at that and stepped back, scratching at his still damp hair. "So... do you want me to walk you back to your place?" 

"I still have.. uh.. questions." Liz shook her head. Another thought entered her mind. A thought that should have been there much earlier, and rightly so. It was an important thought. Extremely important. So why had she forgotten it for a while there? "And... a few concerns." 

A soft sigh escaped, and Michael went to sit on his bed. "Fire away, Professor Parker." 

"My.. uh.. main concern is obviously about Max and Maria." 

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, looking at her with some patience, but she could tell already he was a little annoyed. "I told you, this isn't about either of them." 

"Yes it is. Whether you like it or not, they're involved in this. Maria -loves- you, Michael. If you'd ever get that through your thick skull maybe you'd realize that you might possibly have feelings for her." 

There was a slight movement of his head at the words Liz said. Almost a twitch. Like his some of his neck muscles spasmed. His response to that came after a very deep breath. "I -know- that, Liz." 

She couldn't help but blink at that intense confession. Alright... So he knew how Maria felt. "So do you...?" She couldn't really finish the complete question. She didn't really feel right asking it. He should confess any feelings, or lack of feelings, to the person. Not their best friend. 

The silence between them was long a ominous. It was like in Magnolia when Tom Cruise's character was trying to refrain from having to answer a question by waiting out the interviewer in silence until her thirty minutes were up. Liz really hoped he was planning on speaking before she graduated. Finally he let out a breath, "I do care about her, okay?" 

"Well then you better get your act together, cause one of these times, she isn't going to want you back. She's really starting to get along with Josh, you know?" 

He spoke in a slow, patient voice, almost emotionless. "I care about her enough to know she should be with someone else. Someone of her own species." 

Those words were so close to Max's she wanted to scream. But she didn't. "You guys and... Arg! Can't you come up with something new? 'It won't work. I'm an alien, and you're not.' Give it a rest already. You, Max and Isabel are more human then hundreds of people I've met. While they may be human on a genetic level, you guys are human -here-." She brought a hand up to her chest, indicating her heart. "And that's where it matters most." 

There was another one of those dramatic pauses again. It was a lot shorter this time. Broken with words and a grin. "And this coming from Miss Molecular Biologist." The grin faded as Michael shrugged, adding, "I'll agree, the whole species barrier is a little old." 

"It's probably just an excuse for you guys to keep from getting 'too close'. The old universal truth. You're afraid of getting hurt. Human boys do the same thing all the time." 

"Yeah, well most human boys don't have to worry about their powers running rampant during... intense moments and killing their girlfriend." 

Another long pause. This one was her fault, obviously. She'd never thought that that was one of the things he or Max had been worried about. The FBI thing, she understood. The Sheriff thing, she could relate too. He'd caused her sweaty palms more then a few times. Even the alien thing she could comprehend. "I guess not," she finally said. 

Michael straightened up, like he'd come to a decision. "But don't worry about Max or Maria. They won't have to know this happened." He didn't need to add the rest of the statement. His eyes spoke that part for him. It wouldn't happen again. 

Two kisses. That's not a betrayal... It's... an experiment. She wasn't sure if it failed or not. 

"I'll walk you home now." He was reaching for a pair of shoes under his bed. They were a pair of Maria's. She wasn't even going to ask why he had a pair of Maria's shoes under his bed, but there was one last question she had to have answered before she could let this day end. 

"Wait. One thing... Why could you... open up to me? Not with Maria. You said you cared about her, so why can't you... open up? Tell her how you feel, maybe?" 

He looked at her for a long time, then held the shoes forward for her to take. Once they were in her hands, Michael turned away, moving towards the coat rack near the door. Taking his coat off the top wrung he gave his answer, "The answer is simple, Liz. At the end of the day, Maria might still be there." 

"I... I don't understand." 

"Sure you do. You have Max. You'll always have Max. You'll always go back to him, just like he'll always go back to you." Michael finally glanced at her, smirking like someone who'd just been let in on a secret, "You're soulmates after all." 

"How.. how do you know that?" Liz wanted to believe that ever since she first discovered Max loved her all those years. She wanted to find proof. All those times they got torn apart -- complications as she liked to refer to them as -- almost had her convinced for a time that even if they were soulmates, maybe it was never meant to be. 

"Liz. What is a soulmate? There's no text book definition for it really. It's more of a universal truth then anything else. It's one of those terms that you just know. Someone who crawls into your soul and takes over part of your being. Someone that you're never complete without, and never will be. That's what you are to Max, and what Max is to you." 

During that speech he put on his coat, pulling a second one off and tossing it to her. Liz almost didn't catch it. Her mind was busy catching up with everything he was saying. It was the truth, for her at least. It was like Max had crawled into a corner of her very being when he connected with her to give her those images of his life. Michael said it was that way for him too. She knew she was smiling, even before her facial muscles started to ache. 

To finish his speech, Michael added softly, looking at the door as he opened it and spoke at the same time, "Max can have eternity with you; thousands of days of beautiful memories. I only wanted one." 

(**(**(**(End Flashback)**)**)**) 

~ * ~ 

The others had left her alone in the room with Michael, and Maria DeLuca could finally do what she'd wanted to since this whole thing started. Run her fingers through his hair and hold his head in her lap. She had to keep him covered. He was too blinding in this state not to, and she didn't know how long she could keep him in her lap either. It was like wrapping her arms around someone who'd just got finished swimming in ice water. Except he was dry. And he wasn't getting warmer at all. Not only that she could swear she smelled mint in the air, but that might have been one of the many vials she'd sniffed since they'd found Michael. 

"Come on. You can pull out of this, Michael." she whispered softly to the freezing figure on her lap. How the heck was he so cold when he was radiating light? She may not be an expert in energy related things but wasn't that like impossible? 

There was a tap on the door and Liz was standing there with two cups held by the handles in one hand. "Hey." When Maria didn't say anything in response, Liz continued, "I found some herbal tea in the cupboards. Thought I'd bring you some.." 

Liz moved beside her, setting one of the cups down on the telephone table next to the bed. "Thanks," Maria said, taking the cup and sipping it. The tea tasted a little watered down, but it had a distinctly mint-y flavor to it. "Mint tea? The Valenti's didn't strike me as mint tea people." 

"I think your mom left it here. It's the same brand she always used to hawk on us." Liz had a soft smirk on her face as she said that. 

The thought back to that whole thing made Maria shudder, "Aw man. Thanks for bringing that up, Lizzy. Shesh. Why not just run my underwear up the flag poll. To think... if things had gone differently, I might be -living- in this house right now. No wait, I would have an apartment. Living with the Valenti's? Someone gag me. The thought is just -too- disgusting." 

Her now married best friend was just grinning at her during the whole ramble on the subject of her mother's "love affair" with Sheriff Valenti. Then her face went serious as she looked towards Michael's covered form, "How is he?" 

"Same as he was when you followed Max outta here. What are they doing anyway?" 

"They're going through Valenti's files." 

"And this is going to help... how?" Maria asked, completely confused. 

Liz gave a half shrug, but Maria could read her friend like tea leaves. She didn't think it would help at all. "Let's wait and see. Isabel and Alex should be back with River Dog soon. If he doesn't know what's wrong..." 

"Then what?" 

Her friend's brown eyes drifted towards the curtain covered window. "I don't know... I guess..." 

"You want to tell Max, don't you?" It was a simple question, one Maria had been expecting to ask for a long time. Ever since Liz had told her what happened the week before senior year. A few weeks after the fact when Maria found the tennis shoes she always used to keep at Michael's in Liz's bedroom. 

"Yeah." Liz said with a sigh. "I mean, if it was something to do with what's wrong with..." 

"How could it have something to do with that? It was almost two years ago, Liz. That's like little more then a third of his life, not counting the years he was incubating. And it was just two kisses." There was a slight pause as Maria's mind caught something wrong with this whole thing, "Unless something more happened that you left out of the story you told me?" 

Liz gave her head a quick shake, "No, no, no. I told you everything important." But the quickness at which she said that hinted towards the fact that there might have been something she'd left out. Maria wondered what it was. But didn't really feel like pushing it right then. 

"Damn. He's really cold." Maria muttered when the package of living ice cubes got to be too much for her to handle and moved to get him off her so she could stand up and warm her legs up again. Once she was standing and trying to rub warmth back into her legs, "So why didn't you just tell Max half a year ago? Or when you got engaged last summer? Or even when you told me? I mean I didn't react too weirdly to the whole thing, and my best friend was fooling around with my 'ex,' too." 

Liz tilted her head slightly, "Maria." 

There was a pause in the conversation as Maria remembered her reaction to the story. "Okay, so maybe that wasn't like the most encouraging thing to say. Sorry." 

Her reaction hadn't been as favorable as the way she made it sound. In fact, if anything it had almost been worse then her original reaction to the whole alien-thing. Except for the running-out-of-the-Crashdown-screaming part. 

"But Max, he's like this totally cool-headed guy." Maria continued, leaning towards a more encouraging approach this time, "He wouldn't freak on you, especially now that you two are married. Husband and wife. And he'd broken up with you when the whole thing happened, right? Like you were -so- not an item. He's probably smooched a few other girls in his day." 

"I know. But Michael was still his best friend. You weren't angry at Michael, remember? You were angry at me." 

"Ok, ok. I get the point." Maria chewed her lip slightly and sipped at the tea again. Mint. What was it with the mint thing today? The smell of mint in the air. Mint in the tea... something inside her was getting... apprehensive at the whole thing. "Liz... did the tea actually say 'mint' on it?" Something about this was weird. Well, weird-er. 

Liz frowned slightly, "I don't remember. But it was your mom's brand. I could go check. Why?" 

"Just... a feeling." And a feeling that was starting to get worse. It was like the feeling in her stomach when watching a thriller or horror movie and she just -knows- something bad is going to happen to the character but she doesn't know what is going to happen, or when exactly, and she just has to sit there and wait for it. That's how she felt. How did the feeling connect with the mint thing? Was she just over-reacting? 

"I'm sure River Dog will know what to do." Liz said in her usual 'everything-will-be-alright' voice. "But do you want me to go tell Max about your feeling?" 

"No, no. It's probably just tension." But the whole mint thing set it off. What did it mean? Or was it just her imagination? The tea could have been mint, and when Liz was getting it ready the smell could have gotten in here. That's all it was. 

She had herself convinced it was just that when the phone rang. It was like a sledgehammer just smashed into her gut. Liz looked at her, and a moment later the teacups were sitting on the bed stand and they were in the hall moving towards the phone that was ringing. Kyle appeared a moment later, with Max right behind him. 

"Don't make a sound anyone," Kyle said calmly, and once everyone settled down in silence he picked up the phone, "Valenti House. ... Oh yeah, hi. Thanks. ... Really? When? Where was it? ... You sure it wasn't just fireworks? ... No problem. ... Alright. Bye." 

All those words Kyle said made the feeling grow even worse. She feared the worst even before he hung up the phone and made the announcement, "Well, my dad's coming back." 

For a moment there, Maria felt like she was going to fall over. But she didn't, which surprised her entirely. Instead she just let out a sigh. 

Liz was the one who spoke next, "When? Why?" 

"Well I wasn't the only one who caught a glimpse of the flash of light, apparently." 

Maria didn't hear anything else for a little while. She closed her eyes and started envisioning Valenti and his Deputy lackeys searching around the reception hall of the hotel. She could picture him checking the hotel records and seeing that it was rented out for Max and Liz's wedding. Then he would see that they missed their flight. Not to mention the fact that she didn't think they would be able to hide the fact they were all at the Valenti house. Neighbors probably saw them. 

Then it would only be a matter of time before Michael and Isabel and Max would all be hauled off to government labs to be studied. In hind-sight she also realized that her, Liz, and Alex, and probably Kyle too, would all be questioned, and medically probed, to make sure they were harmed by prolonged exposure to the alien life-forms. Maybe even charged with a crime for helping hide their presence... It was like a really spooky X-Files episode was playing over in her head. 

"Maria?" A voice broke through the horrible pictures scarring her mind. At first she thought it was Liz, but the voice was male. Max was her next guess up there. But it wasn't either of them. It was Kyle. "Don't worry, Maria. It's a long drive here from where he is. He won't be back until at least noon tomorrow. We'll have Michael back to his normal annoying self and in his apartment long before my dad ever shows up." 

Maria was starting to wish she'd been nicer to him during the whole 'our-parents-are-dating' thing. She actually wouldn't have minded having a brother... "Yeah, but he still might connect it to them." she said, trying to stay calm and keep the images from resurfacing in her head. 

"Like I said a minute ago, the source isn't really reliable. He was, and still is, drunk. The only reason my dad even considered it..." There was a pause as Kyle glanced towards Max, "Well, because it was where and when Max and Liz's wedding reception was. But like I said, unreliable. And you all have alibis at the time it happened. Except Guerin. But I could..." 

Kyle didn't finish what he was saying because the front door flew open and Isabel came through. "We're back." She looked around the room and must have seen the expressions on their faces, mixes of shock, worry, panic and relief all at the same time, cause her own expression tripled in worried, "What's wrong?" 

"The Sheriff's going to be back tomorrow. Where's River Dog?" Max said as Alex entered the door, closing it behind him. No River Dog. Not a sign of the old Native American. 

"We don't need him." Isabel said clearly, not panicking at the announcement that the Sheriff would be back. Her next sentence explained why, "I am pretty sure I know what's wrong with Michael, and how to fix it." 


End file.
